I used to read in bed every night. Sometimes it was technical material and at other times, it was entertaining fiction. It helped me in many ways - it made it

I used to read in bed every night. Sometimes it was technical material and at other times, it was entertaining fiction. It helped me in many ways - it made it so that I had an activity that helped me relax before I put the book aside and slept. It also helped me make big leaps in my understanding of certain technical topics. I found that (at least in my case) reading before bed led to high retention. Also, doing it this way, it was an easy ritual -> brush teeth, shower, lie in bed and read, feel tired and can't focus anymore, set book aside, turn off bedside lamp and close your eyes and fall asleep quickly. This adds up to a lot of reading over the months and years.