In difficult times, it is common for more and more people to face insomnia. Music is a successful remedy in such situations. It is a long-term remedy for not only falling asleep but, also getting a good night’s sleep. Moreover, the UK National Health Service recommends listening to relaxing songs to get rid of insomnia. Today we will look at the deep connection between music and sleep.
Table of contents
How music help to sleep
Music can influence a person’s emotional and mental levels. It is successfully used in the fight against lack of sleep. In clinical studies, listening to music has been shown to reduce anxiety, irritability, various stressors, and even physical pain. It happens under the influence of the human nervous and hormonal systems. It’s about the stress hormone cortisol. When it decreases, a person feels calmer and calmer.
The science behind sleeping music
Numerous scientific studies confirm that it is yes. One was conducted among people aged 60 to 83 who preselected a 45-minute soothing recording and listened to it before bed for three weeks. Gradually, they were able to fall asleep faster, sleep longer, wake up less frequently at night, and feel more rested.
For another study, students with sleep problems were divided into three groups. The first listened to classical music at night, the second listened to audiobooks, and the third did nothing. 30 out of 35 students from the first group began to sleep better, while only 9 out of 30 improved in the second group.
There are numerous other scientific data. Music has been confirmed to slow the heartbeat, lower blood pressure, relax muscles, synchronize breathing, and drive away evil thoughts.
Music type for sleep
As mentioned above, music is a long-term remedy not only for falling asleep but also for sound sleep. But not all types of music are suitable for this.
If a person listens to fast-paced music with harsh sounds in the morning before going to sleep, there is a risk of eliminating sleep and awakening aggressive moods.
Some genres contribute to the excitation of the nervous system and act on a person in a stimulating way: rock, pop melodies, other energetic and fast, funny, and dance melodies. Loud and sharp sounds excite the mind and stimulate the energy flow, which has nothing to do with relaxation and falling asleep.
A Baylor University study found that nightly obsessive tunes, firstly, spoil sleep, and secondly, they appear due to music before bedtime.
@baylor.edu
They started an experiment with fifty volunteers who were supposed to sleep there. Some of them were allowed to listen to a few pop songs before going to sleep, and the pop songs were played in their original form and a purely instrumental version, i.e. without vocals. One song stuck to someone, and then the person slept more difficulty, woke up more often at night, and his sleep was not comfortable. What’s more, they found that many people who listened to pop music didn’t get a good night’s sleep.
Therefore, it is believed that the tunes we listen to before going to sleep should be calm, quiet, and slow. It helps prepare the body for rest and, thus, for sleep. Such melodies help a person get rid of negative energy, create positive energy and bring back fond memories.
Besides musical compositions, birdsong, the sound of waves, the sound of rain, and other natural sounds are ideal for this and allow us to sleep well. You may remember that when you went to sleep in rainy weather, you fell asleep instantly.
Slow and calm music has a beneficial effect on a person. These genres are:
- Classical
- Acoustic
- Jazz
- Instrumental
- Music for meditation
- And sounds of nature
Apps for sleep music
If you are looking for music belonging to the above genres and are tired of Websites and YouTube videos, we have prepared a new app selection for you. All apps are available for both Android devices and iPhones.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a free noise app with over 100 sounds for everything from sleep to meditation. There are many categories, from binaural sounds (sounds that help reduce anxiety and relieve headaches) to beach sounds, bird chirps, rain, forest, and city sounds. The app has a sleep timer to save your phone’s battery.
Get it on Google play – Download here
Get it on App store – Download here
Relax Melodies
Oriental Meditation Oriental Meditation app is created by Relax Melodies app development team. The app features many Eastern deep sleep sounds. Close your eyes and enjoy traditional Asian music, Chinese flutes, lutes, and other musical instruments. You can mix and match melodies and adjust the volume of each sound. The app also includes an alarm clock and timer.
Get it on Google play – Download here
Get it on App store – Download here
White Noise Lite
As one of the best white noise apps, White Noise Lite offers 40 sounds including all shades of noise from white to brown, mechanical sounds, water sounds, and more. You can download looped sounds for free for offline use. You can also record, loop, and share new sounds within the app. White Noise also allows you to create new soundscapes by mixing multiple noises with support for adjusting the volume, balance, and pitch of each sound in the mix.
Get it on Google play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tmsoft.whitenoise.lite&hl=en&gl=US
Get it on App store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/white-noise-lite/id292987597
BetterSleep: Sleep tracker
Better sleep helps you understand your preferences and improve your sleep quality with sleep metrics, premium sleep sounds, and voice content tailored to your preferences.
Downloaded by over 50 million users, BetterSleep features over 100 different sounds and soothing music to create the perfect sleep environment. The app also contains meditation lessons and breathing techniques, as well as nature and white noise sleep sounds.
As one of the best white noise apps, BetterSleep has countless customization options allowing users to create their content. The library has soothing sounds such as wind, rustle, fire, and the soft chirping of birds. There are also unique sounds such as the rumble of an airplane, the sounds of fans, and even a vacuum cleaner.
Get it on Google play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ipnossoft.rma.free
Get it on App store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bettersleep-relax-and-sleep/id314498713
Loóna: Bedtime Calm & Relax
Loona is not your average meditation and sleeps music app. Instead, it offers Slipscapes (Japanese gardens) interactive stories in which you follow the story and complete simple tasks to bring images to life on your phone. Relaxing music plays in the background. This is a kind of “coloring book” that includes breathing exercises and concentration exercises.
All stories are interconnected and divided into chapters, they represent one big journey through mysterious and magical places. Each slipscape lasts approximately an hour. They are recommended to pass before going to bed.
Get it on Google play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.loona&hl=en&gl=US
Get it on App store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lo%C3%B3na-calm-relax-and-sleep/id1465238901
Endel: Focus, Relax & Sleep
Endel is music therapy. According to the developers, the application does not just use ready-made sounds for calming but generates them in real-time using artificial intelligence, which takes into account your location, time of day, heart rate, and weather. In addition, the sounds change during the day, they are synchronized with the circadian rhythm.
Several sound areas are suitable for relaxation and sleep: Sleep, Relax, and Hibernation. At the heart of endless tracks, you can hear a variety of sounds.
The app features new Hibernation background, which features a lot of soothing ASMR sounds, like a crackling fireplace, cat purring, light crunching, and guitar.
Get it on Google play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.endel.endel&hl=en&gl=US
Get it on App store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/endel-focus-sleep-relax/id1346247457
The free soundtrack for sleep (Best Six sound tracks)
In addition to apps, we have listed free soundtracks for sleep or relaxation. These soundtracks have been viewed millions of times on YouTube and many have given positive comments.
Ocean sounds waves for sleeping
Heavy rain and thunder sounds for sleeping
Peaceful Piano Music & Guitar Music
Relaxing Sleep Music
Relaxing Mozart for Sleeping
Soothing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata helps you sleep
Can you sleep with music all night long?
Our body needs complete rest for better sleep. The brain gets tired of constantly playing music, and this can lead to a lack of sleep. It even overloads the nervous system, which will affect your well-being in the morning.
Ideally, listen to music for 30 to 60 minutes. After that time, it is advisable to set the necessary settings to stop the music automatically and go to sleep. Most mobile applications have this feature.
Another significant point is the devices used to listen to music while sleeping. Most people use headphones, earphones, or earbuds for this. But all of that interferes with a good night’s sleep. It is best to listen to music from a phone or music player placed near the bed.
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