4 Nonfiction Books To Read Before You Go to Bed

Stop scrolling, put away your phone, and read these books instead

It seems like every article you read about creating good habits tells you to put your phone away at least 30 minutes before you go to bed and read a book instead.

This is great advice because you really should put your electronics away. Using electronics at night can keep you from falling asleep as quickly and harm the quality of your sleep once you fall asleep.

However, choosing a book to read before going to bed can be tricky. As an avid reader, I have stayed up hours past my bedtime thanks to a particularly page-turning plot. For most of us, fiction is not the best option at night.

I generally try to stick to nonfiction before bed, and I’d suggest that you try it, too. But, it is crucial to pick the right nonfiction book. You need something interesting enough to hold your attention, it needs to have short chapters, and it probably shouldn’t be a personal growth or self-help book because deciding to change your entire life at 10 pm on a Tuesday night is not restful.

I’ve read a lot of books. Here are the best ones to read before you go to bed that I’ve found so far.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

While John Green is best known for his YA novels, his first nonfiction book is both delightful and profound. In this collection of personal essays, Green reviews different parts of human life. Topic range from everyday items like Dr Pepper to events like hotdog eating contests to emotions like loneliness.

Each chapter is one review, and the chapters are short enough that you can read one or two easily before falling asleep. I’d advise reading this book any time, but it is a perfect book to read before bedtime. There’s something unexpectedly peaceful and calming about the reflects on things we rarely stop to think about.

What you’re looking at matters, but not as much as how you’re looking or who you’re looking with. — John Green, The Anthropocene Reviewed

Tell about Night Flowers: Eudora Welty’s Gardening Letters, 1940–1949 edited by Julia Eichelberger

If you have any interest in Southern literature, then you’ve definitely read something by Eudora Welty before. One of her greatest abilities as a writer is to capture a voice that brings a specific person in a specific place to life. This collection of letters, which were not intended for publication, show just how gifted a writer she was.

All of the letters in this collection are written either to her literary agent or a high school classmate that Welty was engaged to for a while, and most of them focus on their shared passion for gardening. It’s an interesting glimpse into Welty’s life during the 1940s and her thoughts on all the events happening in the world as well as in her hometown. The book moves at a pace that makes reading it enjoyable, but you’ll be able to stop when you are tired enough to sleep.

After some more stories accumulate we can see how they do and what combination would be best for a book. So far no one-act plays or anything have entered to throw things off but something may at any time, for I feel the way you feel always in the spring, as if it might be possible to go in some place that is different, by a different way, and as if it would be easy to be far away and doing something spacious and free. — Eudora Welty, Tell about Night Flowers

5 Cities that Ruled the World by Douglas Wilson

In this book, Wilson selected five cities to discuss that were important to history but also remain important in impacting the world today. Specifically, he gives a roughly 40-page synopsis each about the founding of Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York.

Rather than reading like a textbook, 5 Cities that Ruled the World has a more casual tone. You get just enough information without being bombarded by obscure historical facts. This book is a great option if you’re interested in history but don’t want something too technical or dry.

As we discuss these cities — their past glories, their present influence, and their future — my assumption is that progress is real and genuine and that we do have much to look forward to, not only in these five cities, but in all of the places from which we may visit them. — Douglas Wilson, 5 Cities that Ruled the World

How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman

In this book, Herman good-naturedly argues that the Scotts are responsible for inventing “our world and everything in it.” The book is self-admittedly hyperbolic, but the information presented is still relevant. It is true that this small nation produced a surprising number of advancements that shape our lives today.

This is another great history book that is interesting enough to keep you reading and not so boring that you end up picking up your phone instead. It’s a must-read if you’re into Scottish history, but even if you aren’t, this is an enjoyable read.

People of Scottish descent are usually proud about their history and achievements. Yet even they know only the half of it. — Arthur Herman, How the Scots Invented the Modern World

Of course, everyone’s tastes are different when it comes to nonfiction. Hopefully, you’ve found something that strikes your interest and keeps you off your phone or other devices at night for a little while.

I’d love to know what books you’ve enjoyed reading at night!