The Benefits Of Music
Whereas you’d dream blissfully listening to Tchaikovsky, your spouse would prefer Metallica’s greatest hits. Different types of songs can also alter our body chemistry and hormone levels. For example, listening to pleasant tunes can boost serotonin levels, which makes us happy.
However, there was no change in a control group given only the ergonomic pillow but no music. The relaxing properties of certain types of music have been known for many years, yet most of those who find sleep difficult to come by have never tried it. They may spend money on white noise machines, birdsong recordings or soothing waves breaking on the shore. Sure, these sounds can work, but there are many different forms of relaxing music online that will help you sleep. The recent study, published in the Journal of Psychological Science, reports on three trials that dive into other people’s experiences with earworms. In the initial survey, 199 people who frequently listened to music reported having regular nighttime earworms and worse sleep quality.
The autonomic nervous system is part of your body’s natural system for controlling automatic or unconscious processes, including those within the heart, lungs, and digestive system. Music improves sleep through calming parts of the autonomic nervous system, leading to slower breathing, lower heart rate, and reduced blood pressure. Get into the habit of listening to appropriate music each night once the lights have been dimmed – or switched off. As suggested above, studies have shown that a tempo close to that of your heartbeat works well, particularly if it slows down slightly over the piece. Your mind and body will become used to associating such things with sleep.
Listening to calming music at bedtime improved sleep quality in older adults, and calming music was much better at improving sleep quality than rhythmic music. The researchers said that calming music may improve sleep by slowing your heart rate and breathing, and lowering your blood pressure. As per studies, slow music or classical music is more relaxing that can help you sleep. Classical music or instrumental music can help slow the pulse and decrease levels of stress hormones.
After WWII, musicians were brought to U.S. hospitals to aid the healing of soldiers’ physical and emotional trauma. Next time you’re getting ready for sleep, consider how music might be a great addition to your evening routine. While playing a song like 'Weightless' might help you drift off, it’s important not to forget other crucial aspects of a restful nighttime routine. The song was produced in collaboration with sound therapists to include a careful combination of rhythms, tones and tempos that relaxing music reduce not just your heart rate, but also the stress-related chemical cortisol. Of course, it’s not the only song that could help you drift off to sleep at night. As it turns out, there’s a science behind how certain types of music contribute to great sleep—and it has to do with more than just the brain.