Being A Midnight Reader

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As much as I love spending my days in between the pages of a book, I love spending my nights reading even more. Yes, I’m a midnight reader. I read at really ungodly hours and while I do love sleep, I love books more. I’m sure a lot of bookworms read late at night too but what I’m saying is that I prefer it over reading any other time of the day. As always, let me explain in bullets.

Why read at midnight?

  • Being “in the zone” – Okay, I’m not just a midnight reader. I’m really a night owl in general. My bed time is usually 2am, and that’s still pretty early. I have a hard time sleeping early at night but no, I’m not an insomniac, although I sure feel like it sometimes. I’m just really awake at night is all. And when I read at midnight, I feel really focused, and really attentive to the story.
  • Peaceful and comfortable – Nothing else is more cozy than reading in bed at night. Am I right or am I right? I love reading at midnight, under the covers, knowing that the rest of the world (or at least the rest of the people at my house) is asleep and no one will be able to disturb my midnight reading bubble.
  • Amplified feels – Y’all are gonna think I’m really weird but when I read at midnight, I become 10x the emotional reader that I am. Maybe it just so happens that I read all the really emotional books at midnight but I always seem to tear-up when I read books then. Or maybe it’s because the combination of being “in the zone” and comfortable allows me to lose myself in a book so much.
  • Sound sleep – After finishing my midnight read, I just turn off the lights and sleep comes to me so easily. I sleep like a freaking baby after midnight reading escapades and I loveeeee itttt. It’s real weird because reading keeps me from sleeping but it also helps me get a good night’s sleep. How ironic.

Of course, I still read during the day like a normal person but I still prefer reading at midnight. There’s nothing like waking up (even when I look like a zombie with puffy eyes) and remembering, “I read a really great book in the wee hours of the night and it was so worth it.”

Are you a midnight reader? Why or why not? Talk to me!

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63 Responses

  1. I’m with you in this, Hazel! 100% midnight reader :) When everyone is asleep and I have my own peace, that’s the best time for me to read a book :D

    2 AM? *hands down* I can read til 3 am, but my sleeping time starts at 12 mn or 1am. :D

  2. I thought it was only me having heightened emotions at midnight.:D Yes, I am a midnight reader and I think it’s better to read at night because you know no one will bother you. No text messages, calls, and even dogs are asleep. :)

    1. Glad to hear we’re in the same boat when it comes to being more emotional at night! It’s so easy to cry over a book then because you’re on your lonesome and no one will be looking at you thinking you’re crazy for tearing-up over words.

  3. This is so interesting to me! I do most of my reading at night too but I never stay up till midnight to read (that’s when I catch up on my shows haha). I used to read until I was sleepy but now it gets harder to keep up with it because my attention wanes after half an hour (approx. 50 pages) since I read better in increments. There have been times when I was tempted to stay up all the way to finish a book but I have pretty good self-control haha :) But I definitely agree that at night when everyone is asleep is the most peaceful and comfortable period. All responsibilities are lifted off my shoulders and I can just do whatever I want.

    1. Well, I’m glad you found the discussion interesting, Charlotte. I do my show watching in the before I do my reading so I guess we’re opposites! But yep, I super love how peaceful things are night. :D

  4. I’d love to read at night, but I’m generally an early bird. I usually read before I sleep, but I get sleepy very quickly. And I usually have to wake up relatively early in the morning, so I can’t afford reading until late after midnight! But reading at night is also my favorite time to read!

    1. Early birds, night owls- ha! I wonder why time of the day tendencies are associated with feathered creatures. ;) When I have school tho, I usually need to get up early too so I don’t can’t stay up too late then. But it’s summer for me now so I can read as late as I can! :D

  5. I agree with everything you said. My brain starts working at night (around 10PM, I guess) so it’s when I am alert and ready to soak in all the emotions from the book. There’s something about reading when everyone else is asleep. Sometimes, I even finish a book without realizing that the sun’s already up.

  6. I totally agree. The silence. The whisper of the night wind — just so peaceful.
    But what’s more than that is when it rains. I love reading when it rains. Just in bed… with a cup of coffee… and a good book in hand.
    Well, all-in-all, I just really love reading while lying on the bed. :)

  7. I’m more an evening/night person too and I love reading in bed. It’s just such a comfortable place and like you say, nicely hidden under the covers makes me feel very peaceful. Reading before I go to sleep help me relax and let go of any daily frustration I might have :D

    1. I actually noticed since you’re one of the few from our timezone actually online at such late hours! I love the night atmosphere too, like time’s on a standstill and you can read and read and read until daybreak. ;)

  8. I don’t get to stay up reading very often(boo, work and my commitment to getting enough sleep), but I totally enjoy it when I do! There’s something super special about reading a great book when most of the town is asleep.

  9. Your article hits close to home: I’m such a late night reader too!
    I feel like I’m more focused at night, I can concentrate on the story without hearing the noises of everyday life: home, cars passing by, people coming in or out at my house… At night, everything feels so quiet and peaceful (and scary sometimes, depends on which book I’m reading), so it’s easier to read during these moments. And yes: reading in a bed (particularly when it’s cold outside, or when you can hear that it’s raining) is the best place to read a book. Well maybe with the beach too, but I don’t have access to it as often!

  10. Yes yes yes Hazel, all the yes! I’m a midnight reader too, I stay up late and am the most awake when I’m well into the late hours of the day 8pm -10pm and that’s when I go to bed to read. I do read on the bus to and from college, but it’s not the same, it’s not private, I can’t laugh or smile on buses, or snuggle in bed and hide or get emotional and cry and it’s fantastic to do that at night. Plus it means I can sleep peacefully and then look at the book with fresh eyes in the morning and review it. Perfect, just perfect. Great topic Hazel! :D

  11. Haha, I am definitely the same way. I even named my blog for my bedtime reading habits ;) Reading at night is definitely peaceful because I find it easier to immerse myself into whatever setting the book I’m reading is in. Have you ever fallen asleep while reading though? I’ve done this so many times when I was really tired but still wanted to read haha.

  12. I am the EXACT same way, only I’m more of an 11 o’clock reader haha (I go to bed around midnight). I do a large majority of my reading at night because that’s the only time I can really focus on the story and not all of the other things going on around me. I feel a greater connection with the book because it’s just me in and my book, all alone in the dark. Plus, I have fairy lights up in my room and I love turning them on at night when it’s dark because it makes it feel more magical. And YES reading before bed is the only way I can fall asleep! I have a difficult time shutting my brain off, but reading seems to do that quite well.

    1. I’ve always wanted fairy lights in my room! I do have a ‘spotlight’ over my bed and I love reading with only that specific light on while the rest of my room is darker. Reading at night is just so comfy that I’m able to really concentrate on the book I’m reading! I’m happy to hear it also helps you sleep well, Rachel! :)

  13. Another midnight reader here! I read at night for a lot of the reasons you said as well — quiet house, sends me straight to sleep — but I also find that I can concentrate on the story better because during the day, I’m constantly thinking about what chores need to be done. Dinner needs to be done for seven, I need to put a load of laundry in the washer, the kitchen needs cleaning down. But at nine, ten at night? Everything’s been done so I don’t have to worry; I can just lay down and not worry about reading getting in the way of anything else.

  14. 100% YES to all of the above! I think you’ve finally explained why I cry so much over books that I read late at night. No one else is around to bother me or ask questions, so I can completely let go of my emotions.

    I don’t get to stay up late like that anymore though, or at least I very rarely do. That whole “you’ve graduated and got a job” thing isn’t as fun as everyone says it is. 6AM wakeup time comes early after a midnight reading session!

    1. Yey! I’m glad I managed to explain it. ;) Yeah, unlike in the day where there’s too many people around you, you can really lose yourself reading at night. I have to wake up pretty early for school sometimes too so I have to cut my midnight reading short at times. :(

  15. I’m a midnight reader too! Although I love reading during the day, I get easily distracted. Reading during nighttime means no distractions, really, since a lot of people are already asleep and it’s more peaceful. And I thought I’m the only one who gets 10x more emotional during nighttime! That’s why most books I read during those times end up making me tear up.

    1. Right? Me too! And it doesn’t help that it’s so freaking hot in our country during the day. I get headaches and am not able to read well. I end up taking extensive afternoon naps, haha! I’m so glad I’m not alone about getting emotional when reading at night. :)

  16. I am certainly not a midnight reader because after ten I am already sleeping like a baby haha I usually spend my time reading in my cozy afternoon. Thanks for sharing Hazel :)

    1. Good for you! That’s not the case for me, sadly. I rarely am able to sleep that early unless I did something really physically tiring. But I’d rather exhaust my mind reading at night. :D Thanks for dropping by, Chyna!

  17. Ahh… Midnight reading. THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD. I’d rather read late at night than in the day and I actually get most of my reading in the night. It’s quiet, there are no distractions. I find myself going to sleep at 2-3am! I guess that’s not very good for me!

  18. I don’t think midnight reading has the same effects on me. Lol. But I do love reading late at night. Sleep doesn’t come easily to me so I usually just read instead of just lying down waiting. I guess it’s counterproductive, especially when the book is so good, but it is what it is. Haha

  19. I really like your topic this week, Hazel! I really want to say I’m a midnight reader because you’re right. It’s more peaceful and it gives you the “in the reading zone” feeling when it’s night time, BUT I’m a very sleepy person. It’s ridiculous. Even though I just woke up from a nap, I end up falling back asleep. Also, I have issues with the lighting. So I guess I’m not a midnight reader lol.

    1. Hi, Leigh!!! You’ve been missed! I’m glad you like the topic. I envy people who are easily sleepy. I have a hard time going to sleep especially at night but reading till my mind is completely exhausted helps me get some zzzz’s. :)

  20. I wouldn’t say I’m a midnight reader because I get back home from work only after 11 pm so reading’s the last thing on my mind. But sometimes on the weekends I do this and I have agree with you-It’s definitely the best time to read! :D

    And yes, amplified feels! OMG I thought I was the only crazy one! Haha! XD

    The last time did some midnight reading was when I got my ARC of Katie McGarry’s Dare You To-Let me tell you that it was TOTALLY worth staying up till 3AM!

  21. YES, midnight readers unite! I agree with all the points you’ve listed that make midnight reading so wonderful. There are some downsides, though; the only time I don’t like reading late into the night is if the ending of the book isn’t good (or if it’s a cliffhanger). Then I end up being a dawn reader because I stay up all night reading something else just so that I can get closure.

  22. I am TOTALLY with you on being a midnight reader! While I do read a fair bit during the day (especially when I’m commuting to and from work, and during my lunch breaks), my prime reading time is right before bed. I love being tucked under my blankets, comfortable positioned with a book in hand. It’s always so soothing, and important as a part of my daily routine. Glad to find out I’m not the only one!

  23. I wouldn’t really say I’m a midnight reader but I definitely like reading during the night! It’s so relaxing after a long day. I can just let go and let myself escape to another land. And it’s quiet so that helps me concentrate! I can’t really absorb a book as well when it’s loud.

  24. I do the majority of my reading at night too. Being an adult and having a job, though, means that I no longer can stay up until the wee hours of the night, unfortunately. But I still do the majority of my reading in my bed at night. Like you, I like how being isolated at night makes me more “in the zone” as a reader. I also need it to be more or less silent to concentrate on the book I’m reading. I’m envious that you’re able to adjust your schedule to stay up so late, as I definitely wish I could still do that!

  25. I totally understand you! The quiet seems too enhance whatever is going on the book, taking the reading experience to a whole other level. Sometimes though my eyes betray me, becoming heavier and heavier until I’m reading through tiny slits out of pure stubbornness! :)

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  27. I am an anytime reader, really. I love reading at anytime of the day or night. But, I have to agree with you that there’s just something about reading late at night, especially when everyone else in the house is asleep, that really makes one feel more in-contact with what they are reading and more likely to get emotional over it.

  28. I love this blogpost, Hazel! <3

    I love all your reasons for being a midnight reader because they're so true! I don't know why but I always feel so much more attached to a book that I read late at night. THe feeling of being (seemingly) the only one awake rejuvenates me.

  29. Yes! I actually consider it normal to read at night- I think it’s linked to all those bedtime stories when I was younger but I have to read something before I go to bed! You are right it is so cosy in bed with a book :)

  30. I love reading late into the night, but I’ve become an old lady and “late” now means anything past midnight! Haha

    I totally agree about the falling asleep bit – I sleep SO WELL after reading late. Probably because I’m catching myself falling asleep while reading, since I’ve pushed it too late! Haha

  31. I love your reasons for reading at midnight :D And I definitely agree with the comfort that comes from the knowledge that everyone is asleep and it’s like you and the book are the entire world.
    But I am not a midnight reader! I read at night (seriously, I have this thing where if I don’t read before going to sleep, I get anxious. I guess that’s what a life of reading before sleep does to you), but because I usually have to be up early and I am a zombie without enough sleep, I’ll stop by about 10. UNLESS. Unless the book is amazeeeen, or I’m really near the finish and I just HAVE to read until the end. I love it when this happens. When a book becomes more important than sleep. It makes me happy. And, like you, I fall asleep SO easily after reading into the later hours of the night. And I wake up feeling all feelsy about the book and I can just look over at it and remember how amazing it felt reading it the night before. I do so love it when that happens. :D

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