“When he needed to calm his mind, he opened a book. Any book. He had never failed to feel refreshed, even if the book was no good.”
-Louise Erdrich, The Night Watchman
Reading fiction helps me sleep. Honestly, it’s a huge part of why I even read fiction.
Sure, there are a ton of other massive benefits to reading—it expands our minds, develops empathy, stretches imagination, and just adds to the overall joy that marks our lives. I believe reading can deliver all of this.
But on top of it all, reading provides me with one thing that is absolutely essential to enjoying a decent, daily mood—SLEEP.
In that regard, perhaps one of reading’s greatest benefits isn’t tied to one of the many ways it’s a direct investment in our minds, but rather in its ability to provide a state of calmness to our minds.
Its ability to release us from the stresses of our own daily lives, by transporting us to other lives, other stories and worlds, for just a little while.
So that when we return, we can do so rested, refreshed, and ready.