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In this article:
- If you have trouble falling (and staying) asleep at night, then you’re far from alone. Globally, 6 out of 10 adults say that they don’t sleep well.
- One tool many are turning to for help is music, which reduces anxiety, depression, stress, and pain while also blocking out night-time noises.
- Not all music is made equal for sleeping well, though, so it’s important to choose the right kind of music to help you wind down after a long day.
- Music is also not a replacement for medical treatment for those with serious illnesses that affect sleep. For those without those illnesses, music is best enjoyed as part of a healthy sleep routine.
For many people, falling asleep can be a source of stress. Maybe it’s the sibling or roommate staying up late for an upcoming exam and bouncing their leg nonstop, or the construction project next door that’s dragged on for ages. Or, maybe it’s just lying there, closing your eyes, and pretending to be asleep in the hopes that you actually do fall asleep — but somehow not being able to no matter how tired you feel.
The sad truth is, falling and staying asleep is a problem that’s all too common today. A 2019 global survey found that 6 out of 10 adults say that they don’t sleep as well as they’d like, as compared to the lucky 1 in 10 that say they sleep extremely well. Moreover, 67% of respondents report experiencing sleep disturbances every night.
This has plenty of consequences from poor overall health and increased risks of accidents to unrecognized and under-reported economic costs. It’s also just really annoying.
Unsurprisingly, the growing problem of sleep issues across the globe has given rise to an entire industry. In 2019, the sleep economy, which consists of products like mattresses, pillows, medications, and sleep apnea devices, was worth some $432 billion — and this is a figure that’s growing all the time.
But one cheap sleeping aid that many are increasingly turning to at night is music. While we tend to use music to dance or smash the patriarchy to, many people are also using it to sleep better.
Now, there isn’t much data out there about exactly how many people do this, but a 2018 survey by UK researchers found that some 62% of respondents use music to help them doze off. Collectively, these respondents listened to a total of 545 artists across 14 musical genres, helping even those without sleep disorders to improve the quality of their sleep.
While this survey relied on self-reported data about how music helps people sleep through relaxation, auditory masking, habit formation, and mental distraction, other studies have shed light on why music can help us fall and stay asleep, and interestingly, which types of music are most effective at doing so.
How It Works
Music has been known to help people improve the quantity and quality of their sleep, a fact that’s been observed from infancy and childhood, all the way to older adulthood. And it makes sense: Many of us grew up with lullabies and gentle, soothing sounds at night.
But how exactly does sleep music work?
Reducing Anxiety, Depression, and Stress
Sleep music works by helping regulate our hormones, more specifically the stress hormone cortisol. When we’re stressed, we tend to have a high cortisol level, which makes us more alert and less likely to sleep well.
So if you feel like you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time, you can probably blame stress, which scientists have found to have increased overall since the 1990s. That, and the pandemic isn’t helping either.
The good news is that some types of music have been found to decrease cortisol levels.
One such study, conducted in 2011, looked at how instrumental music can help ease stress levels among patients undergoing surgery. They found that patients who listened to instrumental music had lower levels of cortisol and therefore needed fewer sedatives, as compared to a control group that listened only to a placebo stimulus.
Meanwhile, another study looked at music’s effects on the stress, depression, and anxiety levels of another stressed-out group of people: pregnant women. In this study, the researchers created four 30-minute CDs featuring different kinds of music we often find relaxing. These tended to be music that has between 60 and 80 beats per minute, like the human heart rate.
There was a lullaby CD that featured Brahms’ Lullaby and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, one CD with children’s rhymes and songs, a classical CD with the works of Debussy and Beethoven, and a final CD that had nature-related sounds in it.
Against a control group, the pregnant participants were then asked to listen to a CD and keep a notebook of which CDs they used and what they were doing while listening. Most were either resting, performing chores, or in bed.
And at the end of the study, the participants who listened to the CDs had significant decreases in anxiety, depression, and stress levels as compared to the control group, which only had a much smaller decrease in stress and depression levels, and even an increase in anxiety.
Moreover, the study found that of the four options, the women tended to prefer lullaby and nature sounds.
Reducing Acute and Chronic Pain
Another issue many people have that keeps them from healthy sleep is pain. If you have a sore back, an aching tooth, or a chronic illness, pain isn’t just hard to deal with during the day — it’s even worse at night.
Chronic pain can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep, as there’s simply no way you can be able to feel comfortable enough to doze off for the length of time you need to feel well-rested. This can result in you feeling more and more exhausted over time, and make night-time a cause for anxiety — which makes for a pretty vicious cycle.
One way music has been found to help is by helping us produce higher levels of a feel-good hormone called dopamine, which tends to be released when we eat, exercise, and have sex. According to a 2017 study, the hormone helps decrease both acute and chronic pain by triggering the release of dopamine.
A 2020 study tested this idea in a hospital’s emergency department setting, and found good potential for a smartphone-based music therapy app to help decrease pain and anxiety levels among patients.
Blocking Out Night-Time Noise
NIght-time noise is another common issue that makes falling and staying asleep difficult for many people — whether it’s from the aforementioned roommate or nearby roads and airports. The problem stretches beyond just one evening of bad sleep, as night-time noise pollution has been linked to higher cardiovascular risks and noise-induced hearing loss.
Music can help combat these effects by producing the right kinds of noises, particularly with pink noise.
Pink noise is a type of noise that contains all the sound frequencies we are able to hear, and helps block out annoying background sounds without sounding too shrill. Compared to the more well-known white noise, which also contains all sound frequencies humans can hear, pink noise makes higher frequencies and higher-pitched sounds less intense. This makes pink noise less likely to overwhelm us, and more likely to soothe us.
Some studies have found that pink noise can help with improving deep sleep, which is important for memory, learning, energy, and immunity. Other studies have also found that pink noise provides this benefit even for daytime naps.
The Choice of Music Matters
Not all music is good for sleep, though. For instance, a 2018 study on heart health and night-time music habits found that pop music can increase anxiety levels. In contrast, yoga music, or a type of soothing music for meditation, can help decrease anxiety when listened to before bed.
A 2021 study conducted at the University of New South Wales might explain why. According to the research, music with lower frequencies, a slow and sustained duration of musical notes, and slower beats and rhythms are your best bet for getting a good night’s rest. And it doesn’t even have to be a traditional lullaby or classical music.
What matters, apparently, is not the genre of the piece itself, but the qualities mentioned above. And so, both Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Yiruma’s River Flows in You work pretty well before bed. In contrast, the likes of Fergie’s Fergalicious and Ariana Grande’s Baby I are worth listening to some other time.
Moreover, another reason to avoid listening to catchy music too much, according to another 2021 study, this time by Baylor University, is that it can make you catch an earworm, which can be terrible for your sleep as they get stuck in your head.
“Our brains continue to process music even when none is playing, including apparently while we are asleep,” says lead researcher Michael Scullin. “Everyone knows that music listening feels good… But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.”
The study tested three popular and insanely catchy songs, namely: Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, and the cultural landmark that is Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe. Participants who caught an earworm had a hard time not just dozing off, but in staying asleep — they had more night-time awakenings and had lighter sleep than those who didn’t get an earworm.
Just One Part of Healthy Sleep Hygiene
The studies above, however, are careful to point out that music alone can’t help solve our problems. If there’s something in your life that is constantly stressing you out, then there’s no amount of music in the world that can address the root cause. For example, if your boss is a bully or your work systems are simply not sustainable, then it’s worth doing something about those things too, like starting a union (which has, by the way, long been working to reduce occupational stress).
Moreover, music isn’t a cure for medical issues like sleep apnea, which is why it’s still important to consult with and listen to qualified doctors to address those issues properly. For these cases, it’s best to think of music as a useful add-on to breathing devices and even surgery if your doctor recommends it.
But for those turning to music to help ease stress, pain, and night-time noise, then consistency is key. Listening to the right music at the same time every night for around three weeks can help improve sleep quality and quantity.
And with streaming apps, this has become easier than ever. Just be sure to choose your night-time music well. For instance, try and avoid songs that make you feel too many emotions, as this does the opposite of lulling you to sleep. You want songs that can make you feel neutral or positive, but not so upbeat that you start wanting to dance instead.
If a pre-made playlist isn’t working for you, consider making one for yourself composed of songs that fit the criteria above.
It’s also important to avoid headphones or earbuds for this. A high volume can damage your ear canal, and sleeping with earbuds on can lead to earwax build-up and make you more likely to get an ear infection. Instead, go with a speaker that doesn’t come with bright lights, and set it to a volume that feels comfortable.
Lastly, think of the right music as a part of a healthy sleep routine. Night-time routines and rituals are great for sleep because they signal to your body that it’s time to start winding down for the day.
A good way to start building a healthy sleep routine is to avoid coffee and caffeinated tea past 2:00 P.M. Try to avoid watching TV or playing video games near bedtime, too.
It’s also a good idea to stretch and read books before bed, and to take the time to write down a to-do list for the next day. This way, you’re able to take those worries off your shoulders and clear your mind by the time you go to bed.
