Sleep is one of those basic, human functions that should be easy. In theory, you’d simply cozy up in a plush bed, conk out, and wake up feeling like a better version of yourself. But it’s rarely ever that simple (thanks a lot, rumination).
You probably know that winding down well before you try to doze off can help immensely. On a macro level, “we want to transition from ‘doing day to being night,’ but everyone is different,” Jade Wu, PhD, board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist and author of Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications, tells SELF.
A consistent sleep routine signals to your body that it’s time to power down—but when you only have 15 to 20 minutes to dedicate to yourself before bed, what should you lean into? “Sometimes all I want to do is lie down and scroll on my phone,” Dr. Wu says. “That’s really tempting, but it’s unhelpful for sleep.”
When she can only pick one step in her pre-snooze process—other than brushing her teeth and washing her face—she reads or listens to an audiobook. “It really slows my mind down to transition to sleep,” Dr. Wu says. “It’s such a strong cue for my body that it’s time for bed.” On a good night, she spends at least 20 minutes reading or listening to a book, but even five minutes makes a difference if that’s all she has the energy for.
What she reads varies depending on her mood, but she cautions against choosing something dull: “That will just make you bored and frustrated—not feelings conducive to sleep.” Good ol’ paper books are your safest bet, but if you prefer an e-reader like a Kindle, you should ideally use one that has a “night mode” to minimize blue light exposure, a notorious sleep disruptor.
So why does story-time, in particular, direct her into dreamland? As Dr. Wu puts it, there’s “a lost art of being slow.” Reading is a “focused, slow cognitive activity” that has “fewer sources of stimulation” than, say, watching a show or swiping through dozens of TikToks, she explains.
And the right cue—an activity that’s genuinely soothing to you—gradually turns down the stimulation dial in your brain. “We often think of falling asleep as turning off a light, but it’s more like going down a ramp,” she explains. For example, during the early phases of sleep, your core body temperature steadily drops, your heart rate slows down, and your muscles relax, she says, priming you for peaceful shuteye.
Of course, reading is Dr. Wu’s personal sleep cue, and it might not work for you in the same way (especially if you prefer, say, thrillers and horror stories—not exactly calming material). If you haven’t found your cue yet, the key is to pick something that stops your brain and body from working too hard, even for a little bit, before your head nestles into your pillow. If reading doesn’t do that for you, try a luxurious shower, static stretching, a 10-minute meditation, or something similar—wherever you land, it should feel blissfully undemanding.
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