The Importance of Reading Before Sleep
Liliana Amaro
Bedtime routines are recommended at all ages and if we start introducing them as children are young it is better, so we get used to certain activities and perform them as part of our daily lives.
Liliana Amaro Sleep Coach recommends reading as part of our evening routine, the benefits are as follows.
· It makes us put technology aside.
· Helps concentration and memory
· Increases knowledge and culture
· Reduces stress
· It helps us sleep better.
Reading disconnects us from everything that involves movement and physical effort. It is one of the recommendations to promote sleep, because already at night reading is a kind of relaxation exercise that can be sustained until the eyes begin to tire and the concentration fades gradually entering a period of trance, we can get to fall asleep suddenly or decide when to stop.
Reading or telling a story is always recommended as part of the childhood routine as it serves children as an indication that the next thing is to close their eyes and sleep. An adult can do it in bed, and it is advisable to set a time when you should close your eyes and sleep, this means that if you have trouble sleeping the book should be left at the set time as a limit, or after a certain number of pages. It is likely that many people will be able to read for hours and this is not bad we simply have to be aware that sleep is important and necessary.
If you already practice reading and still cannot sleep, Liliana advises putting the book aside, turning off the light (total darkness) breathing deeply 10 times, thinking about every part of our body, and starting to imagine every page of the book we read before bed, you will probably fall asleep at some point and if you don't keep imagining until you don’t know your sleeping. Reading is one of the healthiest and most relaxing ways to get to sleep and rest deeply.
People that read are usually well social interactors and people that can spend more time by themselves, this day this skill and virtue is getting lost and replace by the technology, we can work together on making the reading a fashion and a never passing tradition, perhaps in the nearest feature owning a hard-copy book will be more valuable than not having one. Reading is Fundamental. In fact, it is one of the most important ingredients to becoming all that you can be. Reading provides a window into the world around you and helps you do better in all subjects. Most importantly, reading can not only help you become a better student, but a better person. You can learn from the brightest people whenever and wherever you choose.
Some New parents wonder how to start reading to a newborn because is too little they believe there is kind of wasting time, but if you think a little bit longer nothing you do with a child is waste of time in other hand is completely enriching for the child to listen to your voice and recognize sounds at young age, the time that you spend reading is bonding time, is relaxing for you and him. Introducing reading to a routine can help the transition to bed more pleasant and easy.
What to read is another question, well just look at a library or a book shop the options are infinite, you just need to pick the right book for the right age. Liliana founder of www.zzleepmybaby.com recommends the following: for a young child sensory books are quite successful since they get attracted to colors, sounds and shapes. For toddlers’ books with adventures, teaching about fear, feelings, manners are great and not just for them, sometimes a as parent we cannot find the right wat to explain situations, so a book is always a good resource. For children that have bilingual parents the reading time before bedtime is an exceptional time to introduce it.
When you have multiple children this also can be tricky but if you have some that can read or hold a book, you can make them choose a book read to each other or just look at the story and imagine what is it a bout and tell them you can all discuss it together at breakfast time. This is a great skill that you can start forming at young age until your child is able to read before bedtime.
For last one golden tip from Liliana as Children Sleep Coach reading of just 1 book as part of the routine is enough for those children that are not easy at bedtimes.
Here is a link in where you can have ideas and material to begin this wonderful activity with the kids https://www.storyberries.com/free-kids-books-lost-toy-bedtime-stories