Learn how to use music to deepen your sleep and drift off quickly.
Chances are, you’re not scoring enough restorative shut-eye each night. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in three adults in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep every day, which can lead to difficulty making decisions, higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, and impaired athletic performance.
To get your sleep schedule back on track, you might try sipping on a cup of caffeine-free tea or taking a melatonin supplement, both of which can help you drift off, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. But there’s one sleep-promoting practice that’s even easier to incorporate into your bedtime routine: listening to music.
Research suggests that tuning into gentle songs before bed can improve sleep quality and sleep onset latency (read: how quickly you fall asleep). And it’s actually a common sleep aid: In a 2018 survey of 651 people, published in PLoS One, 62 percent of participants reported using music to help them sleep.
Ahead, learn how tuning into a soft and slow playlist before bed can help boost your sleep, as well as how to effectively incorporate music into your bedtime routine.
How Music Improves Sleep
“In general, playing soft music before bed may help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality,” says Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine and the director of sleep health at Sleepopolis. “Some people might also find that listening to music promotes relaxation, helps them unwind before bed, and masks any disruptive outside noise.”
And some research backs up these potential perks. A 2018 systematic review found that listening to music improved sleep onset latency and sleep efficiency in adults with insomnia. A small study on 27 women found that listening to music before a nap reduced the amount of time spent in stage N1 sleep (the stage of very light sleep) and increased the amount of slow-wave sleep (the deepest phase of non-rapid eye movement sleep that’s important for memory consolidation) in some participants. Listening to music for 45 minutes before sleep for four days has also been shown to minimize the amount of time spent in stage 2 sleep and extend REM sleep in adults with chronic insomnia.
These potential sleep-aiding benefits may stem from music’s calming effect on your nervous system. In some clinical populations, listening to music has been found to reduce anxiety, which may be due to its ability to regulate sympathetic nervous system activity and cortisol levels, according to the PLoS One research. Music also has been shown to increase oxytocin levels and, in turn, feelings of relaxation, per the journal.
Essentially, “listening to music before bedtime can promote a sense of calmness, resulting in slower breathing, decreased heart rate, and reduced blood pressure,” says Harris. “The soothing effect of music can help reduce anxious thoughts, lower stress, and increase our physical and mental relaxation.” Given the link between high stress and poor sleep, music’s ability to put your mind and body at ease makes it a useful tool for improving sleep.
That said, some music can harm your sleep and mental health, says Harris. “If your music is played too loudly, it can make it more difficult for you to wind down before bed, and could have negative effects on your hearing,” she says. “Music with a fast or high tempo can raise your heart rate, affect your mood, and increase anxiety or alertness, making it hard to relax and fall asleep.”
How to Harness Music’s Sleep Benefits
Choosing the right type of music is crucial to nabbing its potential benefits for sleep. Opt for slow, soft, and calming music, which can help reduce heart rate and promote relaxation, suggests Harris. You might try classical tunes, for instance, or ambient and nature sounds, she notes. “Some people might find that lyrics can be distracting and make it harder to fall asleep, so it's important to find the right balance and choose music that helps you relax and unwind,” she adds.
Once you choose a playlist full of soft music, start listening about 30 minutes to an hour before bed to help you settle down for the night, recommends Harris. As you wind down, keep the music’s volume low. “Listening to music too loud before bed can make it harder for you to relax and fall asleep,” she says. “It’s best to keep any music before bed at a lower volume so that it’s not keeping you awake or disturbing your sleep."
Powering down your music before you completely fall asleep is key; in doing so, you’re less likely to become reliant on the tunes for shut-eye, says Harris. “Ideally, you should listen to music for 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to sleep and then turn it off,” she explains. “This allows your brain to associate the music with relaxation and sleep, and you can then continue to sleep without it.” To keep yourself in a relaxed state, try setting a sleep timer on your phone, speaker, or streaming app, which will cut your music after a preset amount of time. “This can also help you establish a consistent bedtime routine and improve your sleep hygiene and overall sleep quality,” she says.
Ultimately, music’s effects on sleep will vary from person to person, and it may not be the best aid for you, says Harris. So if you’re struggling to get deep, high-quality sleep and music isn’t doing the trick, consider reaching out to a sleep expert who can work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan.