Music is a part of my daily routine. Whether it’s pop music on the ride to work, classical during the most-focused moments of my workday, acoustic covers in the evening, or soothing sounds to unwind before bed, music can be motivating, relaxing, or serve as a creativity boost, and according to science, can have many benefits.
Did your parents play lullabies for you as a baby? It turns out that listening to music before bed isn’t just for the little ones. According to Psychology Today, music is an incredibly therapeutic tool for emotional health, daily performance, and sleep. It has been used as a healing therapy for most of human history. Ancient Arabic cultures had musicians working alongside physicians. The Greeks used music to treat mental illness. After World War II, musicians were brought to US hospitals to aid the healing of soldiers’ physical and emotional trauma.
As a tool to improve sleep, soothing, relaxing music can slow breathing, lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, quiet the nervous system, ease muscle tension, reduce stress and anxiety, and trigger the release of sleep-friendly hormones, including serotonin and oxytocin.
Listening to music can help people with sleep disorders by boosting sleep quality and quantity. Putting on tunes before bed can help you fall asleep faster, wake up less during the night, and feel more rested in the morning. According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, familiar songs tend to work well, such as easy listening picks such as classical, jazz, and folk music. The foundation also suggests picking a song with 60 BPM, which has exactly one beat per second, which will help you fall asleep even faster.
Here are some recommended songs to help you fall asleep:
- Rainy Clouds by John Ocean
- Isla de Flores by Berlioz
- I Will Walk You Home by Jef Martens
- And I Always Will by Julien Thorsen
- Clocks by Luke Faulkner
- Bud by Rosie Carney
- Dakota by Sheltered Solitude
- Last Dream Before Sunrise by Poemme
- This Night by Leny Bhoelai
- Heavenly Harps by Matooma