Are Kindles Worth It? Finally, a Device to Help You Sleep and Relax

Inside: Wondering if Kindles are worth it? I used to think they weren’t—until I tried one out for myself. Here are 9 noteworthy benefits of a Kindle.

It’s Monday night, and you’re winding down before your major presentation tomorrow. You put on a familiar episode of The Office on your phone. Some snarky, light-hearted comedy should distract you enough to fall sleep.

Just as Michael blurts out something awkward to Pam, you get sidetracked by a banner notification. Your favorite YouTuber has released a new video (Yes!). You head over to the land of YouTube—the start of yet another late-night binge.

Sleep experts tell us to put our phones away an hour before bed. But have you ever wondered what you’re supposed to do during that time? Unless you do yoga or meditate, twiddling your thumbs hardly seems like an appealing alternative. 

This past year, I started reading a Kindle before bed. I discovered that swapping out my phone for a Kindle was one of the best things I ever did for my sleep.

Sleeping with Our Phones: The New Normal

In today’s hyperconnected digital age, it’s difficult to part with our phones, even for a night. The majority (87%) of Americans surveyed said they slept with their smartphones in their bedroom. In addition, 91% of people said they stayed up too late binge-watching a show and 75% to shop on-line.

Studies reveal that smartphone usage impacts our sleep little by little over time. In one study of college students, each one-hour increase of screen time before bed was correlated to a 59% higher chance of having trouble sleeping. The subjects slept for about 24 minutes less per night for every extra hour of screen usage.

In another study, adults who used a smartphone before bed had a 33% higher rate of poor sleep. They slept about 50 minutes less each week. So the chances are that if you sleep with your phone, it’s keeping you up a little (or a lot) every night.

What is a Kindle?

First launched by Amazon in 2007, a Kindle is an electronic reader (e-reader) that allows you to buy, download, and read books, magazines, and other digital media. It has a special electronic ink screen, which mimics the look of reading on paper.

A Kindle is smaller, thinner, and lighter than a tablet (think the size of a paperback). The most basic model will hold from 7000 to 14,000 books. Different Kindle models vary in size, storage, screen color, and other features.

(There are also other notable non-Amazon brands of e-readers, such as Kobo, Nook, Onyx, and PocketBook.) 

A Kindle is a much more sleep-friendly alternative to scrolling on our phones before bed.

Which Kindle is Best for Sleep?

For the purposes of sleep, I’d recommend the popular Kindle Paperwhite, which has a screen that appears most like paper. It has the best adjustable settings for nighttime reading, which I discuss below.

By this point, you might be waiting for the part where I tell you I’ll earn a small commission if you click on my link. The truth is, I don’t earn anything from this article. I simply want to show you how you, too, might enjoy the benefits of a Kindle.

Read on to find out when Kindles are worth it—and when they are not.

Top Benefits of a Kindle for Sleep

1. Unwind more easily in the evening

If you’ve had your share of trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. In a Gallup State of Sleep in America Report, a third of Americans described their sleep the previous night as “fair” or “poor.” 

Not surprisingly, stress and worry were the major contributors to a poor night’s sleep—more so than even diagnosed depression, anxiety, sleep apnea, and chronic pain.

Reading is a simple way to calm and distract our minds from worries of the day. It also promotes physical relaxation, slowing down the heart and releasing muscle tension. The more relaxed we get before bed, less time it’ll take for us to fall asleep, and the better quality sleep we’ll get.

2. Minimize sleep anxiety at bedtime

For some people, insomnia turns into worry about sleep itself, known as sleep anxiety. Nighttime becomes filled with a kind of performance anxiety. Ironically, the less pressure we put on ourselves (the less we try), the easier it’ll be to fall asleep.

Reading on a Kindle decreases sleep anxiety by giving you something else to focus on. The key is to use the Goldilocks Rule: find a book that’s calming and enjoyable to read, without being too exciting or stimulating. You can even designate a book or two as your “go-to-bed book.”

3. Read comfortably in the dark (or while your partner sleeps)

The Kindle’s electronic ink screen allows you to read in the complete dark. While the screen does emit some blue light, it’s much less blue light than a phone or tablet. Because the screen is front lit rather than back lit (as in a phone), the light is directed towards the screen rather than directly into your eyes. 

With the Paperwhite model, you can also use the warm setting and Dark Mode to further turn down the amount of blue light. All this results in a remarkably dim screen with minimal disruption to melatonin production. 

If your partner is currently bothered by your bright booklight when you read at night, a Kindle is a great solution. Plus, it won’t smack you in the face like a book when you doze off.

4. Have a healthier alternative to scrolling

Whether it’s day or night, the struggle bus to unplug is real. But cutting down on screen time isn’t just about eliminating an unwanted habit. We must replace the time with something more desirable.

A Kindle gives you a better alternative the next time you have the compulsion to scroll. It’s much easier to start a new reading habit than gritting your teeth to resist phantom urges to check your phone.

Other Benefits of a Kindle

1. Read a lot more books

Perhaps you’ve been wanting to read more, but life keeps getting in the way. The Kindle’s portable nature makes it easy to read wherever you go. You can conveniently carry a library of books everywhere.

The Paperwhite model is even waterproof, meaning it’ll survive an accidental drop into the bathtub or pool.

Even if you’re without your Kindle, downloading the Kindle app allows you to read books on your phone as well. If you have Wi-fi enabled, the app syncs all your devices so that you can easily find the place you left off. 

2. Fill your mind with more of God’s Word

You probably don’t lug around your 5-pound Post-it flagged study Bible. I don’t either. But with a Kindle, you can carry the Bible everywhere. Whether you’re at the doctor’s office or waiting for your kids at sports practice, use the downtime to draw close to God.

Turn to the Psalms for encouragement or to the Proverbs for wisdom and guidance. Or catch up on your reading plan if you got interrupted this morning. The Kindle can help with staying more consistent with Bible reading.

RELATED: How to Make Bible Reading a Habit You’ll Stick To

3.  Carve out moments of stillness

Chances are you still might be wondering whether Kindles are worth it. Why not just dust off that unused iPad hiding in your desk drawer instead? Reading on a Kindle is not the same experience as reading on a tablet.

Because there’re no digital distractions, a Kindle provides a peaceful, meditative escape. No breaking news notification to swipe away, or Google Siren to lure you away with its deadly call. It remains one of the last quiet retreats in a world full of noise.

RELATED: 13 Ways to Create Space in Your Life

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4. Ditch the reading glasses

If you’re at the point in life where you’re perennially hunting for—and not finding—your reading glasses, a Kindle will be a welcome change. You can adjust the font size to as large as you want with one hand. You can also easily customize the font, spacing, and margins. 

The Kindle is refreshingly easy on the eyes, and it allows you to finally read a book without reading glasses. And after a long day, that’s always good news.

5. Activate your inner nerd 

Kindle technology allows your inner nerd to shine as well. You can highlight text and add notes as you go along. Tap on an unknown word to look it up in the built-in dictionary.

Search for a specific phrase unlike with a physical book. Or turn on the Reading Time feature to see how many minutes remaining in the chapter based on your personal reading speed. 

The Drawbacks of a Kindle

It wouldn’t be fair to discuss the benefits of a Kindle without mentioning some drawbacks. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether a Kindle is worth it for you:

1. Possible navigation issues

Most e-books from major publishers are well-formatted and read like the original book. They’re easy to navigate and have links to jump around. 

But some independent/self-published books or public domain books might have formatting or navigation glitches. If you intend to read these kinds of books, this is important to consider. You can download a free sample of most Kindle books to preview before purchasing them. Or check out user reviews to see if they mention any formatting issues. 

Still, you might decide these hiccups are minor considering Kindle is an excellent place to find indie authors.

2. Not ideal for deep Bible study

Similarly, not all Bibles are easy to navigate. Paid versions tend to be laid out well, but free versions can be hit-or-miss. In any case, flipping back and forth between pages is different on a Kindle and requires several taps. It might take some getting used to.

In general, a Kindle is better for Bible reading rather than in-depth study. Think daily reading and devotionals. If you want to jump frequently between cross-references, compare Bible versions, explore commentaries, and access language tools, use a tablet or computer instead. 

Some excellent digital resources for Bible study are YouVersion Bible app, Logos Bible Study App, Bible Gateway, Blue Letter Bible, and Olive Tree Bible App.

3. Additional cost

Unlike physical books, the Kindle has an upfront cost. The most basic model starts at about $110, but Amazon offers discounts on Prime Day and Black Friday/Cyber Monday. 

If you don’t already buy books regularly, acquiring e-books will be an additional cost. The good news is e-books are generally cheaper than physical books. Kindle books are roughly one-third cheaper than paperbacks. With hardcover books, there’s an even bigger price difference.

If you’d rather not purchase e-books, you could pay for Kindle Unlimited, a subscription that costs $11.99 per month. This service allows you to borrow up to 20 books at a time. Not every book is available, however. You can check out a free trial of Kindle Unlimited to get an idea on which genres are available. 

Another option is to use free library services, such as Libby and Hoopla.

4. Not tangible like a physical book

For some people, reading physical books is a tactile and sensory experience that can’t be matched. A Kindle won’t give you the joy of breaking in a new spine, flipping through crisp pages, or grounding yourself in a cozy book. And it doesn’t have the same pleasant smell as a new (or old) book. So for die-hard fans of physical books, a Kindle won’t be worth it.

Not Another Screen

As a former e-reader skeptic, I didn’t understand the point of a Kindle until I got one. It seemed like yet another device to manage. Before long, I discovered that a Kindle was more than “an electronic book.” It was a great way to rest and unwind. 

Now the Kindle is my favorite possession. It might become yours, too.

 When’s the last time you read a book from cover to cover? What’s your favorite mode of reading? Do you think Kindles are worth it?

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