I love reading but it makes me sleepy
By cheerfulnuts
@cheerfulnuts (604)
Philippines
March 31, 2012 2:06am CST
When I was a kid, I hated reading. My parents would encourage me to read more by buying lots of pocketbooks for me. I found them too difficult to understand. I would look up the dictionary a lot of times even before I finish a chapter. To make it more difficult, that was the time when Britannica was still popular and online dictionary was nonexistent. It was very time-consuming to look up a single word. Anyway, after a few years, I would go back to those same books and finish them.
Somehow, I grow to love books. I associate books with intelligence. I haven't read a lot of books in my life, and I greatly regret that. Now, I'm spending my free time reading news magazines. The problem is, I get sleepy after reading only a couple of articles. I read mostly at night. I want to be able to read more, but how can I do it if my body doesn't cooperate. I rarely have this problem when I read on my laptop, but I prefer tangible books/magazines. I have lots of them at home and it would be a waste not to read them.
Do you like to read? If so, do you get sleepy when you read? I love to watch TV, too. And it also makes me sleepy.
3 people like this
15 responses
@livefree246 (18)
• United States
31 Mar 12
Hello Cheerfulnuts,
I love to read as well and experience the same problems you do in that my mind wonders and I eventually become sleepy. I have started downloading books and listening to them if they are fiction. I always enjoyed story time in grammar school and was a little resentful when teachers stopped reading to the student. LOL. So now I have discovered that listening to my fiction stories allows me to close my eyes and ironically stay engaged in the story.
Non-fiction is another story, so to speak. With non-fiction I am reading with the intent of gaining knowledge. So instead of reading a non-fiction book from cover to cover I ask my self what is it that I am seeking to learn and then read the chapters that apply to what I am most interested in. This either leads to gaining an understanding and more interest which leads to further reading of the book or I loose interest because I find that what I thought is not quite what I was expecting. If I experience a wondering mind or sleepiness I stand up and pretend that I am teaching a class on the subject. Just like I did when I was child. LOL.
Live Free!
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
2 Apr 12
Hi livefree, thanks for your suggestions.:) Audio books are nice. I had tried listening to Twilight audio books. I wasn't able to finish it because I had fallen asleep. It was tough to stay awake with my eyes closed LOL. But I guess it would work if I listen in the morning.:)
I also read aloud sometimes, especially when I'm studying something. It makes me remember things better.
@rn3421 (13)
•
1 Apr 12
I wish I could download and listen to stories. I really liked audio-books as a child but now fall asleep when listening to them! I often wonder if you actually take some of it in if you listen to it when you're asleep - would be a much better way of getting through boring books!
@Cherish14 (2693)
• Philippines
31 Mar 12
i don't like reading. but when i read, i really want to finish the book before putting it down even though i get teary eyes already from being too sleepy hehehe. but yeah i get so sleepy too when i read especially when it comes to reading my lessons hehehe.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I don't try to finish whatever book I'm reading unless it gets too exciting.
Just like to most commenters and to myself, textbooks are sleepiest books ever written.:)
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
31 Mar 12
Read "The Hunger Games" because you will not want to put that book down and it probably won't make you sleepy. The first time that I ever read that book, I just didn't want to put it down because it was so awesome.
You need to find a book that really sparks your interest, and believe me, when you are hooked and you can't put it down, then you know it's a great book.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I've just watched the movie yesterday and it was awesome! I will try to look for the book and read it.:) It's true that I have to find interesting books to read. I just have so many books (given to me by relatives) that I haven't read. They are just displayed neatly in my bookshelves. It would really be a waste not to read them.
I think that I can't just read books that I like. Sometimes, I have to read even the "boring" books to learn new things.
Thanks for your suggestion!:)
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
1 Apr 12
That's my problem. I have so many books to read, and so many books that were, or have been, recommended to me, and I need to read as many of them as possible.
My major in college is English Literature, and as you know, we have a lot of reading that we have to do in our major and we have to know everything pertaining to our major. We have to know the classics, but we also have to know some current literature.
@Inderjeetkaur (944)
• India
31 Mar 12
I also didn't like reading books when I was a kid. I also found them difficult to understand and always needed a dictionary. Therefore I gave up reading books out of my school course books. When I was in 11th standard I noticed that all my friends would borrow books from library and read them with interest. They often used to discuss stories and talk about their favorite characters. I would always find myself out of the discussion as I would have nothing to contribute, and it was then that I realized I was missing something. Then I also began borrowing books from school library and reading and discussing them with friends. I don't remember getting sleepy while reading fiction, but yes I would often go to sleep while reading my course books. he he he...
@Inderjeetkaur (944)
• India
2 Apr 12
Nowadays I have to do a lot of reading, especially of the textbooks. I am a tutor and have to go through all the books of my students which are from different schools and different classes. I must say now I enjoy reading textbooks and don't find them boring at all.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I understand how you must have felt. Most of my friends are wide readers. They talk about books all the time. I felt like I was missing a LOT. When I was a student, I had spent most of my time studying and reading textbooks. Those were the only books that I knew back then. They made me sleepy, too LOL. I had rarely enjoyed "reading" because to me, reading is studying. I understand the feeling one can get from reading novels or any book other than textbooks. Too bad I wasn't able to do that much and I want to make it up now.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
2 Apr 12
Really? I thought only the people who don't want to read would feel sleepy.:)
@rn3421 (13)
•
31 Mar 12
I too hated reading as a child and I too fall asleep when reading. That is the difference between a good book and a great book. Even when I'm reading a good book that I'm enjoying, I fall asleep (I too read mostly in the evenings). However, when I'm reading a great book I can't get to sleep! I will stay awake most of the night desperately trying to finish it. I end up giving up when I realise that I have only a couple hours left in which to get some sleep before work but then I just lie there thinking about the book and wondering how it will end. I now have to try to reserve my reading for the weekends. I plan when I am going to read and start on a Saturday. If I go to work when I'm in the middle of reading a great book I feel really distracted and can't concentrate properly.
All of the above relates to fiction books. I've yet to find a non-fiction book that grips me in quite the same way so inevitably I end up falling asleep when reading them, no matter what time of day (which is very unhelpful when you're trying to study for a degree!)
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
2 Apr 12
When I think about it, some books do not make me feel sleepy. Usually, fiction books can keep me awake for hours. I rarely read novels now. I also find news quite interesting, but they're not as exciting as novels, so they make me sleepy.:D
@autumndreamer (3185)
• Philippines
2 Apr 12
I remember when I was a kid, I didn't like reading too. It kind of bores me as a kid and also because since I'm a kid, I cannot 100% understand English yet. But when I became a teenager and I can already fully understand English, I became so hooked to Young Adult books, and Chic Lit, and also to zombie books. I started to love reading since discovering these genres. Then I also always read magazine and websites. I so much love reading now. I read everything. Whenever there's a new magazine in our house even if it's not a teen magazine, I still read it. I love reading now.
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 12
I find that I am affected by that as well. My eyes become very tired when I have spent a couple of hours reading. I try to avoid reading at night as I prefer natual daylight sitting next to a window. I can then indulge in as many cups of tea that I need and escape into a really good book. I think that you are right that you associate books with intelligence. I think the more you read the more you learn and the more intelligent you become. Reading has always been a favourite pastime of mine and I will never give up this interest.
I used to go through a dictionary myself but I quickly gave up on this idea as I found that it was taking too long for me to read a book and I was beginning to lose the enjoyment and satisfaction. I believe in time you come to understand what the words mean as you get used to the context that they are used in. Television definitely has to be my second favourite pastime and I definitely have a lot of time for that. Anyway, books will always be a major part of my life. Andrew
@maezee (41997)
• United States
31 Mar 12
Maybe the best time for you to read is before you go to sleep. It depends on the book for me... Sometimes I can't put it down and therefore it doesnt' put me to sleep. But sometimes it makes me pretty drowsy. That's my main time to read though, about 1/2 an hour before I want to get to sleep.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
2 Apr 12
It would be nice to read before bedtime. However, I share my room with other family members. By the time I get too excited with whatever I'm reading, someone would ask me to turn off the lights LOL. Our bedroom is the only air-conditioned room at home, so everyone is "forced" to stay there. We also stay in one room to save energy.
@Simon1223 (903)
• China
2 Apr 12
In my view, it's the books you read make you feel sleepy, not the reading itself. Every night when I wanna fall asleep, I often choose a boring book such as textbook to read in the bed. The effect of such "reading" is so obvious. When I read a book which I'm so interested in its contents, I always focus on such "reading" without realizing that several hours have passed. If you read a book which you think is useful but have no interest, I will suggest that you read it in the morning.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
It's easier for me to read on my laptop because I don't have to look down. Looking down makes me sleepy.
I would sometimes take a nap first, and then wake up when it's dinner time. And then the TV's turned on, everyone is doing different things (that create a lot of noise) at home, and it's too hard to concentrate on reading LOL. I'll end up doing something else that doesn't need much concentration.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
LOL. I share my room with other family members so the lights are out when it's bedtime. My only activities during "bedtime" is whatever I can do with my laptop. I really hope that I have a night lamp but I'm still figuring out where to put it in my room if I finally have one.
I always lie down when I read. I just can't seem to find other comfortable position when I read.
@cheerfulnuts (604)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I think companies should stop making sleeping pills and should instead sell course books to people with sleeping problems.:P I guess a lot of people find course books boring.
@jy02553922 (7)
• China
1 Apr 12
Keeping the same posture will exhaust you and feel tired.Trying to move slightly and slowly avoid too attentive at your book.Light music may helpful too.Actually,I hypnotize myself by reading or listening to music.
