An ER Doctor Makes The Case For Listening To Bedtime Stories (As An Adult)

So why did we ever grow out of this special ritual? It may be a bit more difficult to carve out time for a nightly story, especially in our digital world rife with distractions, but supermodel and entrepreneur Kate Bock and Harvard- and Yale-trained ER doctor Darria Long, M.D., founder of The TrueveLab, suggest making "adult bedtime stories" a priority. During our new video series, Expert Insights, they share how to indulge without relying on screens. 

However, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice all sources of entertainment in the name of deep, quality sleep. Bock, for example, listens to podcasts or audiobooks with her fiancé during their wind-down routine. That way, she's not exposing herself to as many screens, but she's still enjoying some digital relaxation before bed (because let's be honest: It's pretty difficult to completely cut yourself off from the digital world as soon as the sun goes down).

If you need a little extra help winding down, Bock also swears by mindbodygreen's sleep support+. "If you can take a natural supplement that will help your eyes feel heavy, that is the dream,"* she says of our bestselling formula. "It takes the stress off of sleeping." The powerful blend of magnesium bisglycinate, jujube, and PharmaGABA® is like the little nudge she needs to fall asleep faster and enhance overall sleep quality.* Bock takes it about 30 minutes to an hour before going to bed (perhaps right before she starts the bedtime story), and it helps her sleep soundly throughout the night.* 

If you can swing it, we highly suggest putting bedtime stories back into your routine. Audio mediums, like books on tape and podcasts, are great "adult" bedtime stories that can help you wind down so you ultimately sleep like a baby.