Music And Sleep
Ideally, you want songs that most closely mimic your heart rate. If you’re not sure how many BPMs a song has, you can look up virtually any song at songbpm.com. And since our brain sends signals to every part of our body, music can affect us in a variety of ways. On a physiological level, our breathing and heart rate will mirror the beat of a song. Over 60% of people listen to music to help themselves fall asleep. For those that don’t want to design their own playlist, online music services have stepped in and usually offer pre-packaged playlists for specific activities.
One study found that music can improve sleep quality within three weeks. In the first place and as already noted, we are unable to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of music on sleep physiology and underlying sleep mechanisms based on survey results alone. The second limitation is that, due to the nature of the online survey, the subject matter and the methods of recruitment, we observed some sample bias in age, with a disproportionately high number of young respondents. However, we did see a broad range of participants with our youngest participants being 18 years old, and our oldest being 79 years old. This limitation means that the proportion of music users is likely to be over-estimated within the survey, though without any additional sources of information, it is impossible to know by how much.
Like sight and smell, the sound is connected to memory and can stimulate both positive and negative emotions. For many, the rhythmic crashing of water onto sand and rock can be quite calming. By creating a mental state of relaxation, contentment, and gentle focus, the wave sound can be deeply relaxing. The National Sleep Foundation recommends choosing soothing songs with slow rhythms, between 60 to 80 beats per minute. It offers a whole host of benefits, ranging from improving your physical health, your mental health, and your spiritual development.
Construction of the song contributes to its effects—a 65% percent reduction in anxiety and 35% reduction in usual physiological resting rates. It’s so effective that researchers even advise against driving while listening to the song, since many tested became drowsy within minutes of listening. Diane Arkenstone, a contemporary new age music artist, has dozens of albums filled with relaxing, meditative music that’s designed to quiet the mind and release stress.
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 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 relaxing music the brain.