Nilkamal Sleep Guide: Can Music Help You Sleep Better?
We are more than familiar with the expression- music for every mood. Let alone individual songs, we have full-fledged playlists ready on our phones for when we are sad, heartbroken, happy, newly in love, furious and (er…) sleepy? Whether music helps us to catch some Zzzs, it is still a disputed issue and neurologists, psychologists and other healthcare experts won’t sleep on it.
But hey, we have skimmed all the arguments for you to know what music to turn on to zone out!
The first thing about sleeping sound(ly)
It’s all subjective! Let that sink in. Sure, many studies prove that music enhances your sleep habits but there is no certain measure for that. Different people find different sounds to be relaxing. For instance, you might associate the sound of the wind swaying and rustling of leaves to be extremely calming. But for that one friend, who cannot get through a ‘The Conjuring’ in a single sitting, the same sound can be downright spooky! So, start with identifying the genres of music or tones that make your shoulders drop, and eventually, your eyelids.
By large, music is perceived to have a positive effect on our sleep. A study by the National Sleep Foundation cites that:
Older adults who listen to 45 minutes of relaxing music before bed sleep faster, sleep longer, wake up less during the night, and rate their nights as more restful than when they don't listen to music. Similarly, when younger adults are given the option to listen to classical music, read books, or nothing before bed, the ones who relax with music see the greatest improvement in sleep quality.
Go with the slow…
Soothing music is considered ideal to unwind before bed. Slip in a bit of jazz and blues, indie and acoustic or plain instrumental songs in your music playlist and you are covered. For a solid reference, check out the Sleep Zone playlist thatbrilliantly curates instrumental melodies to help you hit the sack. Rightfully called the Sounds ofSleep, these tunes are easily accessible and completely free on snooze zone .A thumb rule (if any), here is to keep the rhythm to 60-80 beats per minute (BPM). Also, try to keep away from lyric-heavy songs that grab your mind's attention. You can’t sleep while rapping duet with Eminem in your head.
Nature nurtures
Go back to the basics and embrace the humble melodies of nature such as background music of dew drops, chirping birds, holy prayers etc. Many a times, this is what is required to lend us a feeling of drifting far away from the chaos of daily lives.
We are sure though; in the end you’ll find your way to the land of dreams!
