Could swapping your phone for a good read help you sleep?

RTÉ News​

23-04-2025

Distraction is now one of the leading obstacles to reading for pleasure, according to a new report from The Reading Agency.
The State of the Nation in Adult Reading 2025 report reveals that nearly half (46 per cent) of adults asked - who were in the UK - struggle to concentrate on reading due to distractions – a number that climbs to 55 per cent among those aged between 16-24 and 35-44, and 52 per cent of 25-34 year-olds.
The report also highlights a decline in regular reading habits, with only 53 per cent of UK adults now saying they read regularly, compared to 58 per cent in 2015.
When asked why it's harder to focus, the most commonly cited reasons were a lack of free time (24 per cent), changes in mental or physical health (11 per cent), major life events (10 per cent) and increased screen time or shifting digital habits (10 per cent).
Most of us are guilty of scrolling through our phones before bed instead of reading, but is this late-night screen time affecting our sleep? And could swapping it for a book make a difference?
We asked the experts to find out…
What impact can scrolling on our phones before bed have on our sleep?
"Use of any screen late at night means your body continues to be alert, with the light exposure pushing back the natural timing of your body clock, making it harder to fall asleep," explains Dr Katharina Lederle, sleep and circadian rhythm specialist at The London General Practice.
Light exposure can cause less deep sleep, adds Lederle, meaning even if you do get a good amount of sleep, you may not feel well-rested.
"By looking at your phone or laptop, you are effectively putting a mini-sun in front of your eyes," explains Lederle. "This will affect the secretion of melatonin, which is typically released a few hours before you go to sleep as the sun sets.
"Evening light exposure, and particularly exposure to light from your phone, will suppress melatonin secretion, and your body clock needs melatonin to tell the rest of the body it is night-time. So, without it, there is no such message, meaning the body continues to be alert."
What impacts can reading a book before bed have on our sleep?
"Reading provides a gentle cognitive focus that can help reduce stress," says Dr Rachael Molitor, chartered psychologist and lecturer at Coventry University. "Reading slowly and calmly before bed activates our parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest system, helping to reduce heart rate and blood pressure and leading to a successful sleep onset."
However, fiction is generally considered more relaxing to read than non-fiction – which could have an impact on our sleep quality.
"Fiction, especially familiar or light fiction, tends to be better for sleep because it gently distracts the mind without activating critical thinking or emotional intensity," explains Dr Lalitaa Suglani, psychologist and author of High Functioning Anxiety. "Non-fiction may be more stimulating, especially if it involves problem-solving, self-improvement, or emotionally charged material."
And physical books may help us sleep better than e-books.
"Print books are ideal because they lack the backlight that disrupts melatonin," adds Suglani. "E-readers with blue-light filters or 'night mode' are better than phones, but still not as calming as physical books.
"Ultimately, the goal is low stimulation and emotional safety – books that don't provoke stress, excitement, or analysis."
What makes scrolling more stimulating and addictive than reading?
"Scrolling taps into the dopaminergic feedback loop, a cycle of anticipation, reward, and novelty-seeking that can become addictive," explains Suglani. "Social media, news feeds, or even texting right before sleep can activate the brain's threat system or pleasure centers, keeping the body in a state of vigilance."
On the other hand, reading has natural stopping points.
"It doesn't offer the same dopamine highs, which is exactly why it's more calming for the nervous system," says Suglani. "Reading encourages sustained attention, something our overstimulated brains often crave but rarely experience through screens."
What tips would you give someone trying to transition from screens to books at night?
"Try placing your phone on charge or on a unit away from your bed area, leaving it until the morning," recommends Molitor. "Additionally to this, having a screen curfew such as 30 minutes before bedtime would help support the habit shift by looking at all last notifications and then placing the phone away until the morning.
"With do not disturb mode on most phones, emergency contacts may get through but others can then wait until the morning allowing for a successful sleep duration."
Also, make sure the book you plan to read is accessible.
"Keeping the book visible and accessible near your bedside will allow a habit-stacking approach and producing a more successful behavioural change to support reading over scrolling," says Molitor.