I was debating with my family the other day about when the perfect time for reading should be. Most of my relatives said that the best time would be in the morning. Many argued against their statement and said that the best time to read would be at night-time so I decided to do some research of my own on the matter.
The question however remains, is it better to read in the morning or at night? According to world statistics, it is better to read in the morning. Researchers say that that the reason people (adults) do this, is to “wake up” and “stimulate” their minds.
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On the other hand, when I was chatting to high school students, they clearly stated that they would rather read their school books at night because they are attending lectures and classes all day. They would prefer to take a break during the afternoons and get to their reading and studying during the night-time. The reason for this is simply because students say that they are more awake and refreshed after taking a break. Also, they claim to have a more awakened mindset to reading and studying in the morning.
From what I have found, the best way to describe this situation is to lay it out for you. In the morning from about 7.00am to about 11.00am, researchers say that it is the best time of the day to do things like mathematics and problem-solving; whereas, heavy reading tasks like studying for an exam or learning life sciences or tourism, is best conducted between 1.00pm to about 7.00pm. With this being said, if you are a morning person, the best time for you to do anything important, such as reading and studying, would definitely be in the morning. It all depends on the person.
Benefits of Reading in the Morning
The benefits of reading in the morning, and in general, include:
- Stress reduction.
- May slow down and prevent diseases (look down below for an explanation).
- Communication skills.
- Improves intelligence.
- Improves focus and memory.
These are just a few benefits you get from reading. If you go on the Internet and search for this, you will have hundreds of more benefits. Above, I have just listed the ones that seem most relevant to me. The most common one you will find on the Internet is stress reduction.
I must admit after doing research I was stunned to find out that reading can slow down and even prevent diseases. Researchers say that reading will help and prevent Dementia and Alzheimers. It was an interesting benefit to research, but I will tell you more about it in detail in a few minutes.
Based on self-experience, I have seen how reading can expand your vocabulary and give you a better understanding of words that you may come across when reading about sciences and other complex issues. It also brings on communication skills, especially if you are reading in a different language.
Reading has Proven to Reduce Stress
Usually, the first thing I would do in the morning was to take my bed clothes off and jump in the shower to wake myself up and sort of destress myself for the day ahead. That used to work wonders for me while I was still in school but, unfortunately, over the years, it had died down and became useless.
I tried everything… from coffee to music to exercise and nothing worked for me. It made me realize that in this world and lifetime, there is absolutely no way at all to avoid stress. It’s impossible so many people look for a quick outlet to get off that stress. After roaming the Internet desperately looking for something that might work for me, I found it, and here is my answer. In the morning, the best thing you can do for yourself is read, read and read.
Yeah, other things might work for you and some might work for others, but it has been proven that reading is the most effective way to reduce that stress in the morning. Let’s look at some of the statistics I have found on this site https://aplus.com/a/reading-6-minutes-each-day-reduce-stress-68-percent?no_monetization=true. To break it down, it summarises that:
“According to a recent study, six minutes of sustained reading each day can reduce a person’s stress level by 68%, thereby helping individuals to clear their minds and minimize bodily tension.
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Researchers from Mindlab International at the University of Sussex calculated the stress levels and heart rates of test subjects before observing their responses to various activities. Reading a book lowered stress levels better than all other activities tested, including listening to music (61%), having a cup of tea or coffee (54%), and taking a walk (42%). On the contrary, playing video games lowered stress levels by 21%, but increased the heart rate.”
Diseases can be Prevented and Managed by Reading
I know right? This one came as a surprise to me as well. Reading can prevent more than just diseases by letting people know how to avoid these things before you get them and, if you have them, how to manage them. Reading in the morning is best because your brain is at full alert from the second you wake up. You will also know how to tackle anything that comes your way throughout the day.
For example, many people are living with anxiety. Anxiety is very common so you can find all the information you want on how to handle things when you are in a difficult situation, and how to prevent anxiety and panic attacks. The information is right at your fingertips thanks to the Internet and reliable sources. All you have to do is read them.
Upon researching Alzheimer’s, I stumbled across a web page that can accurately describe how reading keeps the mind alive. For those who struggle with their mental health, this would be a good thing to read in the morning so you are aware of what you can do on a daily basis to prevent things like this.
For more information on how reading books fight Alzheimer’s disease, go to: https://www.noted.co.nz/health/health/how-reading-books-helps-fight-alzheimers-disease/
In that article, it states that “One of his most interesting findings is that 30 – 40% of people with no obvious memory or thinking problems at the time of their death turned out to have the plaques and tangles in their brains that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Wilson thinks that lifelong intellectual activity, and reading, in particular, helped delay the disease expressing itself in these individuals.”
Dementia can be hereditary; therefore, people would like to know how to prevent it, especially if you have a family member that has it. You should read about this in the morning to be able to fully understand this, and how it can be prevented if you are worried that you might get it.
When I researched Dementia, I found that the main thing to prevent this was to exercise your mind and brain. The best way to do this was by reading. It is the best way to keep our minds “aware” and “working.” For more information about this, go to: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/metacognition-and-the-mind/201804/can-reading-help-my-brain-grow-and-prevent-dementia
In this article, it states that “Reading can be like mental gymnastics for the brain. Recent research supports the notion that reading influences our thought processes and is a very potent form of brain training”.
And, “In a way, reading leads to practicing what we encounter in the world, but it is all in our brain, which can be a good challenge for brain health.”
Communication Skills
We all have family and friends and people we need to talk to and communicate with on a daily basis. There is nothing better than learning how to communicate with someone. The best time to learn about communicating with someone is before you see them; which is another reason to read in the morning before you see anyone.
Tragedy can strike before we know it and the best way to handle any situation is to know how to communicate with a person. I found that it teaches you to communicate with people of higher intelligence, and fully understand what they are saying to you when they communicate with you.
For example, you have a meeting about a certain topic you know nothing about. You need to discuss this professionally and give off a good first impression. The first thing I am going to do before I even have my coffee is to start reading about this because my mind is fresh and ready to go.
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Once I have my information, it will be much better to communicate with anyone in the room in that meeting. That is why reading in the morning is beneficial to you as a person.
Intelligence
You never stop learning because knowledge is power and we need the power to overcome many obstacles in life. We, as humans, want to be the best we can be, and know as much as we can about everything. Humans are a strange species, we thrive on knowledge.
This goes hand in hand with communication. Reading in the mornings will give you a benefit on stumbling across new words and understandings. We have all met a very intelligent person and I can bet my whole life savings that this person reads because, the more you read, the more you know, and the more you will understand.
I’m not saying that you will become the next Albert Einstein overnight, but, with constant reading and a healthy lifestyle, you can get very close. The definition of intelligence is “The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills,” and the only way to do this is by picking up a book or going on the Internet to read from legitimate sources.
Improves Focus and Memory
I agree fully with this benefit. When I was in matric, I used to go over all my books just a few hours before the test. I would do this in the morning to focus and memorize my work. I would highly recommend students and anyone studying to do this.
When you wake up is when your brain is most active and more able to store things in permanent memory in your brain. (Even though this happens while you sleep, you will be able to pack more knowledge to store.) This is also the time you have the most energy, and you need the energy to focus, so that’s why I recommend this so strongly.
Reading heightens your brain connectivity. It rewires your brain and creates new white matter. It increases the capacity of your working memory and it expands a reader’s attention span. Read here for more information: https://www.bustle.com/p/what-does-reading-do-to-your-brain-these-5-effects-are-pretty-astounding-74676
I read another article that said “Reading creates new memories. With each of these new memories, your brain forms new connections between neurons, called synapses, and strengthens existing ones. As you read, you are memorizing and recalling words, ideas, names, relationships, and plots. You’re essentially training your brain to retain new information.”
It also states that “In order to comprehend and absorb what you’re reading, you need to focus 100% of your attention on the words on the page. When you’re fully immersed in a book, you’ll be able to tune out external distractions and concentrate on the material in front of you. A consistent reading habit will strengthen your attention span, which will carry over to other aspects of your life.”
You can find more on the article here: https://jrelibrary.com/articles/benefits-of-reading-why-you-should-read-more/
As you can see by all the information stated above, the best time would be to read in the morning. There are so many benefits by doing this that you can’t really get by reading at night.
It is beneficial for you in more ways than one, so that’s why, when someone asks me “Hey, when do you think it will be better to read? In the morning or at night?” My response to that question, without thinking twice, I will tell them in the morning.
If you ever wondered, now you know.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHEN
