Reading is an art that allows people gain knowledge in life. It is an activity that for some is passionate, for others not so much. Although reading could be considered exciting for many, it can make some people sleepy? Many times we begin to enjoy a good book, but in the end we fall asleep.
The act of reading appears to be a relaxed activity, different from physical exercise, but it is not something calm as you might think, the eyes move around the page and the brain interprets the letters and converts them into words, phrases and paragraphs, into meanings. As the brain wears away, the eyes close and sleep comes. This is one of the reasons why reading makes us sleepy.
The causes can be various, for each person the reason is always different. Reading is likely to make us sleepy because of the positions we take to read, what we are reading, and where we do it. In other more extreme cases, the cause may be some sleep pathology.
The moment we choose to read turns out to be fundamental to avoid that when reading we feel sleepy. According to specialists nowadays people generally sleep less than they need. Most people get less sleep at night than they need to. So certain actions in the day may cause drowsiness.
It is recommended to rule out sleeping disorders like anemia, hypothyroidism, brain tumor, etc. or if there is a primary sleep disturbance (sleep apnea), restless legs, insomnia, etc.
Either way, you should not identify yawning as a sign of sleep. The brain needs oxygen to function and since reading is an activity in which a lot of mental effort can be invested, it is normal that reading can demands more oxygen.
Recommendations of specialists to avoid so reading does not produce sleep:
1-Take into account the position. If you read in bed, it is not strange that you fall asleep because the body relaxes and produces sleep. For this reason it is recommended to read sitting in a chair in front of a table and with the book slightly tilted.
2-Adequate lighting. When reading in a dimly lit room, you may be much more sleepy. Therefore, it is recommended that the light be clear and balanced.
3-Apply brief breaks between reading sessions. Adequate rest is ideal for a good read. If the reading is going to be long, every 25 minutes you shoud rest, walk, have a glass of water or do an activity other than reading. If we have to study, we should not do more than two hours continuously, because then the performance drops a lot.
4-Be selective with surrounding sounds. When we play quiet music we facilitate sleep and fall asleep faster. If you are someone who likes to read with music, it is recommended to listen to jazz or a similar style.
It is important to take these recommendations into account to ensure that we read effectively and enjoy the experience.
