Finally, a use for Ed Sheeran: Music as a sleep aid

I have a distinct camp memory from when I was approaching seventh grade. I’m on a bus (the destination of which is lost to me now) in conversation with a few other kids about musical preferences. I mention that I like one song (probably something by Coldplay or Radiohead) because it was good to fall asleep to. One kid gets excited and exclaims, “I listen to music in bed too! Can’t fall asleep without it!” I am… unimpressed. Doesn’t everyone listen to music in bed?

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Turns out, my preteen self was mistaken. It’s actually only about 62% of people, according to a study by researchers from three UK universities (1). But, my young acquaintance wasn’t alone in his struggle for a good night’s sleep. In fact, between 50–70 million Americans report difficulties with sleep, which can have negative consequences (2). In 2010, 20.8 prescriptions were written for pharmaceutical sleep aids alone (3). Music seems like a cheap, easy alternative to medical intervention, that is if it actually benefits sleep quality.

CBS Morning Segment describing possible reasons so many people use music as a sleep aid in response to the study by Trahan, Durrant, Mullensiefen, and Williamson (2018).

Some evidence suggests that it does. Listening to sedative music composed by music therapists for 45 minutes before bed extended the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep for adults with chronic insomnia (4) and those who have trouble falling asleep (5).There are five stages of sleep, REM being the fifth. We not only dream in REM sleep but during it, our brains engage in memory consolidation (6). While these studies provide hope that music could be a viable intervention for sleep, what does that mean outside of clinical contexts? How do people actually use music before or during sleep, and what benefits do people perceive when they do?

651 people completed an online survey by Trahan, Durrant, Mullensiefen, and Williamson (2018) consisting of scale and open-ended questions designed to address these questions.1 403 people (62%) reported using sleep as a music aid at least occasionally, but the frequency of that use varies wildly. Turns out, my young acquaintance and I were among a notable minority — only 50 (8%) people of the 651 reported using music as a sleep aid “every day” or “nearly every day.” The people who reported using music as a sleep aid, on average, were younger, more stressed, less sleep-efficient, and got lower quality sleep. While this could be interpreted to mean that the people who listen to music during sleep are doing so at a detriment to their sleep quality, it’s also reasonable to think that people who originally struggle with sleep seek sleep aid in the form of music. After all, participants were asked what artists they fall asleep to and the most popular artist was Bach, with Ed Sheeran in second place. In my personal experience, it’s difficult to stay awake and engaged during an Ed Sheeran song. 57% of people who used music to fall asleep said they did so to fall asleep quicker.

Then again, it’s possible music use as a sleep aid is less predicted by the original quality of sleep and more predicted by the musicality of the listener. People who scored as more musically engaged in the survey were also found to be far more likely to use music as a sleep aid than people who got low musical engagement scores.

Regardless of who decided to listen to music before bed, people do so for a wide variety of reasons, many of which feel completely unrelated to sleep quality. The researchers consolidated these responses into four distinct categories. Many people (143) reported that they use music to boost their sleep in some way, whether that means helping them clear their mind, achieve a higher level of focus, calm their racing thoughts or physically relax. Another 103 people said that music before bed helps to distract them from the internal and external stressors of the day. People in this category reported that music helps them to “switch-off” their brains. Some people (31) state that music provides some tangible benefit to their sleep experience — it helps them time how long they’ve been asleep, or it improves the quality of their dreams. Finally, 11 people reported that listening to music is a habit, 6 of which report that they do it simply for the love of music.

Some things should be kept in mind when generalizing these findings to the population. First off, music listeners are probably more interested in taking an internet survey about music, so the 62% figure might be an overestimate of people that actually use music as a sleep aid.

Another point brings into question whether these results could support the idea of music as a widespread and medically viable intervention for sleep aid. Medical interventions often require standardization and systematic clinical tests. Musical preferences throw a wrench in this. Everyone in this study chose their own music, and while most of the music was classical and categorized as having a slow tempo, it’s impossible to tease out which music has tangible effects for relaxation and mood regulation that can improve sleep from simply these results. In addition, even if certain music was universally calming, it’s possible that the simple preference and familiarity that exists when people are able to choose their own music is the magical x-factor that improves sleep. For those six tender people who listened to music at the end of the day for the simple love of it, it’s unlikely they’d enjoy a music intervention guided by what music is most likely to extend REM sleep.

So, it’s not clear if the way you or I listen to music actually improves our sleep quality. Future studies may benefit from taking a holistic approach to encouraging music as a sleep aid, taking into account personal preference. Regardless, if you’re like that kid on the bus, your perceived benefits likely outweigh any empirical data about sleep cycles. Play on!

References

1. Trahan T, Durrant SJ, Mu¨llensiefen D, Williamson VJ (2018). The music that helps people sleep and the reasons they believe it works: A mixed methods analysis of online survey reports. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0206531. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0206531
2. CDC. Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic [Internet]. CDCFeatures: Data & Statistics. 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssleep/
3. Ford ES, Wheaton AG, Cunningham TJ, Giles WH, Chapman DP, Croft JB. Trends in Outpatient Visits for Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, and Prescriptions for Sleep Medications among US Adults: Findings from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 1999–2010. Sleep [Internet]. 2014; 37(8):1283–93. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25083008 https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.3914 PMID: 25083008
4. Chang ET, Lai HL, Chen PW, Hsieh YM, Lee LH. The effects of music on the sleep quality of adults with chronic insomnia using evidence from polysomnographic and self-reported analysis: a randomized control trial. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2012/04/10. 2012; 49(8):921–30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22494532 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.02.019 PMID: 22494532
5. Chen C-K, Pei Y-C, Chen N-H, Huang L-T, Chou S-W, Wu KP, et al. Sedative Music Facilitates Deep Sleep in Young Adults. J Altern Complement Med. 2014;
6. Brain Basics : Understanding Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep.