Many book lovers still prefer the traditional paper book option over an ebook. They value the tactile feel of a bound paper book. Paper books are, as a rule, very well designed, smell good, and they carry with them a more human touch.
A paper book provides a more intense psychological sensation of possession. You possess the book as an almost totemic object. In an ebook you only use the book. But beyond the romantic halo, there is a practical reason (and scientific) why it is inadvisable to read ebooks before going to sleep (at least some types of ebooks).
Backlight and melanin
High levels of screen brightness on an electronic device can contribute to eye strain, a condition characterized by tired, itchy, and burning eyes.
Also there are potential considerations for those who read e-books on light-emitting e-readers at night (although some e-readers do not use light-emitting screens). Exposure to artificial light from light-emitting e-readers may interfere with users' ability to sleep and ultimately generate adverse health effects.
A 2014 study published in the magazine PNAS Thus, it suggests that reading an ebook before going to bed decreases the production of melatonin, a hormone that prepares the body to sleep. E-books had also affected the reader's alertness the next day.
Reading is unnatural because the natural state of the human brain, as well as that of most primates, tends to be distracted. However, reading a book requires intense concentration for a long period of time. Doing it on paper is as unnatural as doing it on an ebook, but it seems more convenient to do it (at least for now) on paper.
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The news
If you are going to read a book before going to sleep, it better not be an ebook.
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.