Music & Sleep: Adding rhythm to your sleep routine

Human beings have a deep and valuable relationship with music.

We use it to enhance various parts of our lives.

Your playlists keep you entertained when you’re driving to and from work. The right music will also help you to feel motivated when you’re sweating at the gym or trying to accomplish goals in the office. Now, research is increasingly beginning to show that music could be an ideal solution to many #SleepProblems too.

With the power to change your emotions, relax your mind, and even slow your heart rate, music could be the treatment that you’ve been searching for when it comes to getting a better night’s sleep. What’s more, tunes may be just as addictive as over-the-counter meds at times, but they have far fewer side effects.

The question is, how do you use music to overcome your insomnia?

Here’s your introduction to the world of music and sleep.

How does music improve your sleeping patterns?

So, why is music so good for your sleep?

There are many different reasons. One thing worth noting is that the songs that you listen to have a direct impact on your parasympathetic nervous system. That’s the part of your body that controls things like feelings of relaxation, tension, and so on.

Listening to the right music for #Relaxation can help your body to prepare for slumber. Songs at the right tempo, and with the correct rhythm will slow down your breathing and heart rate while reducing your exposure to hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

The right music can even reduce your blood pressure.

The positive responses that your mind and body have to music make it much easier to fall asleep at night — no matter how much stress you encountered during the day.

One study into older adults found that people who listened to 45 minutes of relaxing music before they went to bed fell asleep faster, stayed asleep for longer, and didn’t wake up as frequently during the night.

If all that wasn’t compelling enough, research also indicates that listening to the music that you enjoy will improve your body’s ability to release serotonin too. That means that you’ll feel happier and more peaceful when you’re snuggling up under your blankets.

What music is best for sleep?

While it’s clear that music is beneficial for those in search of a good night’s sleep, not all #MusicForSleep is made equal. Playing a Kiss album at top volume isn’t going to help your body relax and unwind for sleep. Heavy rock and hip-hop don’t make for the best lullabies.

This means that if you want to try music as your cure to common sleep problems, you need to start by tracking down the right tunes. The good news is that you have a lot of different options to choose from.

While researches do frequently recommend classical music as the perfect sleeping companion, any song with a tempo of around 60 beats per minute is fine.

In fact, there’s even a song out there that was designed specifically to help you get to sleep. The world’s most relaxing song, Weightless, by Marconi Union, helps to align and reduce your heart rate as you’re resting.

The song starts at 60 beats per minute, then gradually slows, encouraging you to drift off into a peaceful sleep. People listening to Weightless reported a reduction in anxiety levels of up to 65%.

Crucially, if you’re not a fan of Weightless, and classical music doesn’t suit your tastes, then you can try any kind of music that you find relaxing.

Researchers agree that enjoying the songs that you’re listening to is an important part of picking the right #SleepMusic. That’s because it helps with relaxing a relaxing dose of serotonin.

Ideally, however, you’ll want to stay away from any music with lyrics that will keep your brain engaged, and music that makes you feel overly emotional. Anything that has too much of an effect on your emotions — positive or negative — is likely to wake you up more than it helps you get to sleep.

Once you find the perfect playlist for sleeping, stick with it.

Adding music into your nightly routine, along with a relaxing yoga session or a hot cup of tea will help you to develop a positive pattern that tells your mind and brain when it’s time to shut down for rest.

Listening to music while you sleep

Not everyone will benefit from listening to music while sleeping.

Some people need nothing but absolute silence when they’re in bed to feel capable of a good night’s rest. Additionally, certain people won’t be able to wear earphones when they’re going to sleep. This can be a problem if you want to listen to music when sleeping, but your partner doesn’t.

However, just like meditation or forest bathing, music can be a fantastic natural way to improve your sleeping situation and fight back against insomnia.

Experimenting with a selection of calming songs could help to eliminate the stress and anxiety that keeps you awake at night. If nothing else, your music will help to take your mind off the stresses of the day.