Book Reading at Bedtime or Book Reading Anytime?

What is a bedtime story? Its a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. Basically, it improves sleep by acting as a signal heralding the transition from the energy of daytime to the quiet of night time. Ofcourse, it has other benefits as well like its educational and it encourages parent- child bonding. Now, the question is, Is book reading at Bedtime more beneficial or book reading Anytime in the day beneficial?

Someone asked me once, "Do you read bedtime stories to Aanya?" And my answer was, "No, we don't read her bedtime stories but we do read her stories." And the next question was " Really? Then, how does Aanya sleep?"

I was little confused. I don't read her stories to make her sleep. For now, I do it because, its a fun time for us together. It opens up the conversation that takes place after the story ends, it encourages Aanya to make up her own stories with the characters she's read about and so on....For me, story reading is important, not the time of reading.

Why do we need to associate sleep with anything? Like bathing before bedtime or story reading at bedtime. I was taught to take shower early morning and never at night. I was not read a bedtime story (though my dad used to tell me stories, but never at bedtime). I am not saying I did or do right and others do wrong, No.
Coming back to that friend, her child doesn't sleep if she's not told a story. Obviously. Children love rituals. Even if she now tries to read her during the day, her child asks " Is it bedtime yet?" and doesn't listen. In a way its good and in way its bad. You are stuck reading each night, becomes a compulsory thing.

And that makes me think book reading should not be limited to bedtime, it can happen anywhere, anytime. Reading is important. Make that a ritual. Not bedtime reading a ritual.