The Unsung Health Benefits of Being a Reader

As you might have guessed, I’m an avid reader and a book lover, and so that might make me biassed, but I don’t think there’s any habit that can improve your life more easily and more dramatically than regular reading. 

But I recently got to wondering: just how biassed am I?

Is there any scientific evidence backing up my feeling that reading can improve your life, and even your health? 

It seems that reading to improve intelligence and empathy is well established, so I looked into the benefits for some other, less obvious areas of our lives. Here’s what I found:

Social Health

Forget those old cliches of the bookworm also being a wallflower. Turns out, being a reader is great for your social life. Yup! It’s true. One study showed that people who read at least 30 minutes per week are 27 percent more likely to find it easy to start a conversation. In fact, according to a study by Taylor and Francis, reading fiction can make you a better decision-maker, and that can make you a better leader — or at least a better friend or partner. (No more back and forth about what restaurant to eat at or what film to see.) CNBC also reported that being a reader increases your emotional intelligence, which makes you a better friend. 

And, according to big-data dating site eHarmony, being an avid reader makes you more attractive to potential dates — at least, if you’re a man. Their research showed that men who listed reading as a hobby in their online dating profile saw an 19% uptick in messages from interested potential partners. 

Regardless of gender, one would think being a reader would regularly give you new material to chat about with your sweetheart on dates. 

Sleep Health

Much has been made about sleep health lately, with recommendations to turn off your screens and reduce blue light exposure in the hours before bed. According to Sleep Junkie, 50% of people who read before bed report sleeping better than non-readers — assuming you’re grabbing a printed book and not an e-reader. 

In another study, nearly half of respondents reported better sleep after reading in bed before going to sleep. Healthline suggests reading in bed could even have benefits for insomnia, as reading helps people “wind down” and promotes a more relaxed state of mind, though they suggest if you have trouble sleeping, read in another part of the house before you go to bed. 

Creative Health

LitWorld's Founder Pam Allyn says, “Reading is breathing in. Writing is breathing out.” Much creative advice has been penned around consuming content to feed your creativity, but is there any truth to it? 

A study asked university students to keep track of the hours they spent reading and writing, and then to take a creativity test. The results showed that students who read more scored much better on the creativity test. 

In fact, medical scans have shown that reading stimulates the right side of the brain, which is thought to be responsible for imagination, holistic thinking, and creativity. So we could say that reading literally expands your mind and your creativity. 

Mental Health

Reading is also good for your mental health — and not just when you’re reading self-help books. 

According to Quick Reads, reading for as little as 30 minutes a week can produce greater life satisfaction. In a study from the University of Liverpool, respondents who described themselves as readers were 18% more likely than non-readers to report adequate levels of self-esteem if they read for 30 minutes a week or more.

The University of Minnesota found that reading could reduce feelings of stress by up to 68 percent!  Of course, this presupposes that you’re not reading something that makes you feel angry or helpless (like the daily news?). In fact, this study showed that reading was even better at reducing stress than other popular methods like exercising or listening to music. Hey! Settle down gym junkies, I’m just the messenger!

And a study in the journal Neurology showed that Reading could help reduce mental decline in old age by up to 32%. And the research showed that the more you read in youth and adult life, the better the effects on your brain as you age. 

Physical Health

A 2009 study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure and heart rate just as effectively as yoga or humour did. That means that reading is good for your physical health as well.

And, alright, this one might be a stretch and backed only by me, but I'm going to say reading is also better for physical health than bingeing TV shows. You're less likely to compulsively snack, you have to move your arms in order to turn pages and if you read about your hobbies, your books will likely inspire you to get up and do something instead of sit passively as the next show rolls along that the algorithm picked for you.

To me, these are all compelling reasons to pick up a book.  If you’re looking to cultivate a reading habit, check out these suggestions or drop into the bookshop in person; our friendly book clerks would be happy to help find your next great read.