How Relaxing Music Can Help You Sleep Better

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.

I love listening to music as a way to make myself feel better or to relax. It was interesting to learn that Celtic, nature sounds, and jazz/ classical music are all genres that work the best in reducing stress. I love Celtic music and will have to try it out whenever I’m feeling stressed next.

The majority have been conducted in clinical populations such as individuals with chronic insomnia or patients in hospital settings [28–30]. For example, Chang et al. demonstrated that listening to music for 45 minutes prior to sleep for four days shortened stage 2 sleep duration, while extending REM sleep in adults with chronic insomnia. Research by Chen et al. supported these findings in a group of young adults. Individuals with a long sleep latency saw a shorter stage 2 sleep and a longer deep sleep with sedative music playing for the first hour the participant was in bed. Another great musical suggestion for falling asleep is contemporary classical music, as this genre doesn’t have a lot of ups and down, and doesn’t really cause any excitement when listening to it. The emotional responses that people get when they listen to contemporary classical music aren’t that significant, so it might just be the best choice for those of you looking to fall asleep faster.

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 relaxing 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 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.