Poor sleep has a direct impact on your physical and mental wellbeing, with it being linked to many conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, depression and much more. An easy, affordable way to improve your ability to fall asleep and get better sleep is to play music.
Music has been shown to improve sleep across a wide range of demographics, with students who listen to ambient music enjoying better sleep quality and even reduced anxiety and depression. It's also beneficial for older adults, with those who listened to calmer music reporting improved sleep quality, particularly when they did so for longer than 4 weeks.
Not only that, but listening to music has been found to reduce stress, with a study showing that those who listened during surgery had lower cortisol levels and a lower sedation threshold. So what we're saying is: music can help you fall asleep faster and get better sleep!
What types of music are better for sleep?
There's no set rule about what type of music is particularly best for sleep; it's all about what works for you. Some people will find pop music helps them drift off, whereas others will swear by classical. In general, though, you'll find that music without lyrics and a slower beat is the most helpful. Genres such as classical, smooth jazz, ambient, and instrumental all work well because there is nothing to catch your attention, such as lyrics. There are even studies that show that listening to classical music can help with sleep problems!
The ideal type of music should be something that doesn't wake your brain up more. If you find yourself lying in bed examining the lyrics or wanting to sing along, then it's probably time to change genres to something a little more laid back. This isn't just about lyrics, either, but also the tempo of a song! Something loud and full of beat drops can jolt your brain back into wakefulness.
So, opt for Moonlight Sonata vibes rather than Ride of the Valkyries! You'll also find that video game soundtracks will be a good option, as they're designed to be background music that isn't distracting from the main gameplay. Of course, you'll want to make sure you choose something a little more relaxing, like the Stardew Valley soundtrack, over the fast-paced tempo of Doom!
How can I use music to fall asleep faster?
1. Choose the right music
Deciding what type of music to listen to is crucial for getting good sleep; it's not going to go well if you try death metal when you're more of a Taylor Swift person! One of the crucial things to get right is the beats per minute (BPM), also called the tempo. The normal resting rate of your heart is between 60 and 100 BPM, so choosing music that is on the lower end of this scale, i.e. 60 to 80 BPM, will, theoretically, help to slow your heart rate to help you get to sleep.
2. Create a playlist
Playlists are always an excellent choice for people who want to mix up their music, whether you want to put together all the songs from your favourite artist or add all the songs from a specific genre. They're also fantastic to help you fall asleep, as they usually tell you how long it would take to listen to the whole playlist. This is important, as the average time it takes people to fall asleep is around 10 to 20 minutes.
Find the genre of music that works best for you to sleep better, and then create a playlist of songs. This playlist should ideally be around 45 minutes long, giving you plenty of time to fall asleep before it ends. If you're not a fan of making your own, there are plenty of playlists already curated to help you sleep better! Spotify and Apple Music have playlists of popular songs that help people fall asleep; we've linked one below if you'd like to try them out.
3. Set up a sleep timer
Most music apps have a sleep timer that cuts off the music after a set amount of time. You'll usually get a few options, so we'd recommend going for anything over 45 minutes, if possible, to ensure you have enough time to fall asleep. This means you'll still get to enjoy the music as you fall asleep, without worrying about your phone's battery draining or paying extra for electricity with a home assistant!
4. Use the same music daily
One of the key ways to help yourself sleep better every day is to make music part of your routine. Doing the same motions daily at the same time will help your brain to associate the music with bedtime, which means it should be easier to wind down and fall asleep the more you do your routine.
Something important to remember is that there is no set time frame for developing a routine. Some people might find themselves automatically turning on their playlist within a few weeks, whereas others might need a few months to remember, though the average from a 2009 study was around 66 days. Don't focus on how long it's taking; keep at it, and the routine will soon become just another part of your day!
5. Use the right volume
Ideally, you'll want to play music through a speaker to help you fall asleep rather than headphones, so set the volume to a soothing level rather than a jarring one. Turn on the speaker on your phone or purchase a separate speaker and place it somewhere in your room. The aim is to be calming and help you fall asleep, not so loud or abrasive that it'll keep you awake!
Remember that, whilst it might be the easier way to block out extra sound, wearing headphones or earbuds can damage your ear canal, particularly if you turn the volume up too high! Not only that, but there's also a risk of earbuds causing bacteria to grow, which increases the risk of ear infections or can cause a buildup of wax!
