Miya Pearson
Music can positively impact sleep quality and duration, helping individuals relax, fall asleep faster, and trigger feel-good chemicals. It can slow down heart rate and breathing, distract from daily troubles, and become a comforting part of a nightly routine. However, listening to music before bed can also negatively impact sleep, causing earworms, or songs that get stuck in one's head, disrupting sleep quality. Additionally, using headphones while sleeping can cause health issues, such as necrosis, wax buildup, strangulation, hearing impairments, and infections.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Effect on sleep quality | Positive: improves sleep quality, helps you relax, helps you fall asleep quicker, triggers feel-good chemicals, lowers blood pressure, reduces heart rate, lowers cortisol levels |
| Negative: can disrupt sleep, can cause earworms, can lead to necrosis if headphones are worn | |
| Effect on sleep duration | Positive: improves sleep duration |
| Safety | Risk of strangulation if wearing wired headphones, risk of hearing impairment if listening at high decibels, risk of wax buildup, risk of infection if water gets trapped in the ear |
| Best practice | Use wireless speakers, keep volume low, choose relaxing music with slow and sustained notes, combine with other bedtime strategies |
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What You'll Learn
Music can improve sleep quality and duration
Music can positively impact sleep quality and duration. It can help people fall asleep faster, improve their mood, and trigger feel-good chemicals. Our heart rate and breathing tend to mirror the beat of a song, and listening to pleasant music can boost serotonin levels, making us happy. Music can also distract us from the troubles of the day, helping us relax and prepare for sleep.
Listening to music before and during sleep has been shown to have tremendous benefits, improving sleep quality and duration. It can help people relax, fall asleep faster, and trigger feel-good chemicals. Incorporating music into a nightly routine may also contribute to long-term improvements in sleep habits. Over time, the brain may associate specific music with sleep, strengthening the behavioural cue that it is time to wind down.
However, it is important to approach bedtime listening habits with caution. While music can improve sleep, the wrong type of music or listening habits can negatively impact sleep quality. For example, some people may experience "earworms," where a song gets stuck in their head and disrupts their sleep. Instrumental music, in particular, was found to be more likely to cause earworms and disrupt sleep quality. Additionally, listening to music on headphones while sleeping can be uncomfortable and present certain health risks, such as necrosis, wax buildup, and, in rare cases, strangulation.
To optimise the benefits of music for sleep, it is recommended to listen to music without headphones, either through external speakers or wireless devices. Music with slow and sustained notes, lower frequencies, stronger bass, and non-danceable rhythms is ideal. Keeping the volume low, under 40 decibels, is also suggested. Combining music with other bedtime strategies, such as living a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, and setting aside adequate sleep time, can further enhance the positive impact of music on sleep.
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It can trigger feel-good chemicals and improve your mood
Music can positively impact your mood and trigger the release of feel-good chemicals in the body. Listening to pleasant music can boost serotonin levels, making you feel happy and improving your mood. This is because music alters our body chemistry and hormone levels, and the release of serotonin can neutralize stress hormones, making you feel brighter and more positive.
Music can also lower cortisol levels, which are released in response to stress. As a result, listening to music can help you relax and unwind, reducing stress and improving your mood. Music can also lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate, which are all signs that your body is in a relaxed state.
The type of music you listen to is important. Slow, soothing music with a low tempo and volume is ideal for bedtime. This is because the music's beat will influence your heart rate and breathing, so a slower tempo will help you relax and prepare for sleep. Music with a faster tempo may not have the same effect, and some types of music, such as death metal or hardcore techno, are not recommended for bedtime.
The lyrics of a song are also important. Music with positive and uplifting lyrics can improve your mood and make you feel happier. This is why lullabies are often used to help babies sleep, and why parents sing songs to their children to make them feel better.
Incorporating music into your bedtime routine can also contribute to long-term improvements in your sleep habits and mood. Over time, your brain will associate specific music with sleep, strengthening a behavioural cue that signals it is time to wind down and relax.
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Music can help you fall asleep faster
Music can positively impact your sleep quality and duration. It can help you fall asleep faster and trigger feel-good chemicals. Our brains are wired to respond to music on a purely physiological level. Music can affect our breathing and heart rate, mirroring the beat of a song. It can also alter our body chemistry and hormone levels. For example, listening to pleasant music can boost serotonin levels, making us happy.
Listening to music while sleeping is similar to listening to ambient sleep tracks or bedtime white noise. Music can serve as a distraction from stressful thoughts, helping you relax and fall asleep faster. It can also become part of your nightly routine, signalling to your body that it's bedtime. Over time, your brain may begin to associate specific music with sleep, strengthening the behavioural cue that it's time to wind down.
However, it's important to approach bedtime sounds with a plan to ensure you remain comfortably asleep. Avoid wearing headphones while sleeping, as the cord can get tangled, and there are health risks associated with improper or extended use, such as necrosis, wax buildup, and hearing impairments from high volumes. Instead, opt for external speakers or wireless alternatives.
When choosing music for sleep, stick to relaxing sleep music with slow and sustained notes, lower frequencies, stronger bass, and non-danceable rhythms. Keep the volume low, preferably under 40 decibels. You can experiment with different genres, as some people prefer fast-tempo beats, while others find classical music best. Ultimately, the choice of music should make you feel relaxed and happy.
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It can be dangerous to wear headphones while sleeping
There are several reasons why it can be dangerous to wear headphones while sleeping. Firstly, if the volume is too loud, it can negatively impact your hearing. Listening to loud noises over 85-95 decibels can be harmful, and prolonged exposure can lead to hearing loss. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the volume low when wearing headphones to sleep. Additionally, wearing headphones for extended periods can put pressure on your ears and irritate your ear canal, a condition called otitis externa. This can lead to discomfort and, in severe cases, cause the skin around the ear canal to break down, allowing fluid to enter the ear.
Another concern is the risk of entanglement. If you wear headphones with cords, there is a chance they could get tangled around your neck or body while you sleep, restricting your movement or causing discomfort. This could also lead to the accidental unplugging of the headphones or, worse, pulling and damaging the connected device. Small wireless earbuds can also be hazardous as they can easily fall out of your ears and get lost in the bed or washing machine, potentially resulting in costly replacements.
Sleeping with headphones can also impair your awareness of your surroundings. If there is an emergency, such as a fire alarm or an intruder, you might not hear it, which could have devastating consequences. This is especially concerning if you live alone or have a medical condition that requires constant monitoring. Additionally, wearing headphones while sleeping can become a safety hazard if you need to be alert, such as when operating heavy machinery or caring for young children or dependents.
Lastly, while music can aid in falling asleep and improving sleep quality, it can also have the opposite effect. Some individuals may experience "earworms," where catchy songs or melodies get stuck in their heads, making it challenging to fall asleep or leading to interrupted sleep. This phenomenon can be more common with instrumental music and for those who regularly listen to music. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of the type of music played and the frequency of headphone use to avoid potential negative impacts on sleep quality.
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Music can help you relax and reduce stress
Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. Listening to music can positively impact health by reducing stress and altering body chemistry and hormone levels. For example, listening to pleasant music can boost serotonin levels, making you feel happier.
Music can also slow down your heart rate and breathing, especially if you choose slower songs with soothing qualities. A study by Stanford University found that listening to music can change brain functioning in a similar way to medication. Songs with 60 beats per minute can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat, creating alpha brainwaves, which are present when we are relaxed and conscious. To induce sleep (a delta brainwave), a person may need to devote at least 45 minutes in a relaxed position while listening to calming music.
Research has also shown that listening to music can decrease sympathetic nervous system activity, impacting the psychobiological stress system. This means that listening to music can help your body recover faster from stress.
Additionally, music can help you relax by distracting you from the troubles of the day. It can also become part of your nightly routine, signaling to your body that it's bedtime. This can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
When choosing music to relax and reduce stress, it's important to select songs that you personally enjoy and find relaxing. For example, Native American, Celtic, and Indian stringed instruments, drums, and flutes can be very effective at relaxing the mind, even when played moderately loud. Sounds of rain, thunder, and nature may also be relaxing, especially when mixed with light jazz, classical music, or easy listening tunes.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, listening to music while sleeping can improve your sleep quality and duration. It can help you relax, fall asleep quicker, and trigger feel-good chemicals.
Choose soothing music with a slow and sustained duration of musical notes. Music with lower frequencies of about 500 Hz and under is ideal. Prefer stronger bass and non-danceable rhythms. Songs with soft, slow lyrics are also great for improving sleep.
Using headphones, especially in-ear or over-ear models, can present certain health risks if used improperly or for extended periods. One of the more serious concerns is the potential for necrosis, a condition in which body tissues die due to insufficient blood flow. This risk arises when headphones compress the area around the ears for long durations, restricting blood circulation. Over time, this can result in discomfort, pain, and, in extreme cases, tissue damage.
You can use wireless speakers or your smartphone to play music while sleeping. If using a smartphone, it is recommended to put it on airplane mode to avoid notifications and interruptions.
