Listening To Music Can Help Older Adults Sleep Better, Finds Study

You may want to try a group percussion session instead. The same research review found that drum circles also had above-average benefits for people dealing with depression. Studies have shown that people in rehab after a stroke are more relaxed once they’ve listened to music for an hour. In 2009, archaeologists excavating a cave in southern Germany uncovered a flute carved from a vulture’s wing bone. The delicate artifact is the oldest known musical instrument on earth — indicating that people have been making music for over 40,000 years.

With a growing body of evidence of successful music interventions in clinical populations, a potential therapeutic benefit exists for populations coping with transient insomnia due to life circumstances. Support for this claim has come from a recent Cochrane report that reviewed the music for sleep literature and concluded that the daily use of music, prior to sleep, was effective in improving overall sleep quality . However, it is important to note that not all research has shown music is an effective sleep aid.



The most common reason given for using music as a sleep aid was to ‘help fall asleep quicker’. 56.82% of participants who used music to help them sleep claimed they strongly agreed or agreed with this statement, and only 20.10% said they disagreed or strongly disagreed. This was followed by ‘reduction in time spent in bed before falling asleep’ (54.35%), and ‘increases sleep satisfaction’ (34.74%).

Overall, music has a positive effect on us, with one notable exception. So, if you’re in the midst of an important decision, turn down the volume to a reasonable level. Music is certainly not a magical cure, nor is it a substitute for therapy, medication, surgery, or any other medical treatments.

Easily customize your sessions to choose different stimulation waveforms and sensations with the Neuvana app, all while you listen to your music or go about your day. Music can help with generating sleep as it can have an impact on physical, psychological and emotional states which contribute to the success of sleep. When you are too alert or excited before bed, it becomes a lot more difficult to shift into a sleep state. It can set the mood in certain situations, bring back nostalgic memories, and in some cases, even help relieve stress. A study with healthy older adults found that those with ten or more years of musical experience scored higher on cognitive tests than musicians with one to nine years of musical study. Bob Marely was right about this one – listen to music you love to take your pain away.

Try out different sounds for a few nights at a time and observe how your mind and body respond to the noise. The National Sleep Foundation recommends choosing soothing songs with slow rhythms, between 60 to 80 beats per minute. Relaxing music may soothe anxiety and quiet a racing mind, which usually causes sleep disorders. Gallagher LM, Lagman R, Rybicki L. Outcomes of music therapy interventions on symptom management in palliative medicine patients. Research has shown that the repetitive elements of rhythm and melody help our brains form patterns that enhance memory. In a study of stroke survivors, listening to music helped them experience more verbal memory, less confusion, and better focused attention.

If you or someone you know is going into surgery, be sure to bring some soothing tunes to ease anxiety. It may work better, and will certainly have fewer adverse side effects, than the meds they dispense. The results showed that participants who were musicians learned better with neutral music but tested better when pleasurable music was playing. Non-musicians, on the other hand, learned better with positive music but tested better with neutral music.

While listening to music at any point in time was effective, the researchers noted that listening to music pre-surgery resulted in better outcomes. The review looked at data from more than 7,000 patients and found that music listeners also required less medication to manage their pain. There was also a slightly greater, though not statistically significant, improvement in pain management results when patients were allowed to select their own music. A 2015 review of research on the effects of music on pain management found that patients who listened to music before, during, or even after surgery experienced less pain and anxiety than those who did not listen to music. The Marconi Union song "Weightless" -- which is allegedly the "most relaxing song ever created" -- also clocks in at 60 beats per minute.

Engaging both sides of your brain simultaneously boosts your ability to solve problems because you’re using the creative left side of your brain at the same time as the logical right side. Music affects our brain in a variety of ways, nearly all of them positive. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, you’ve probably tried just about everything. “Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast / To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak,” wrote English playwright William Congreve. If you pick Calm a nice, slow tune that doesn’t rev you up emotionally, music may even help you get a good night’s sleep. If you're feeling stressed, essential oils may help you relax or recharge.

For example, after Henrylistens to music from his era, this wheelchair-bound dementia sufferer who can barely speak sings Cab Calloway songs and happily reminisces about his life . Researchers found that listening to relaxing music before surgery decreases anxiety. Robert Forster August 23rd, 2016 I have suffered anxiety with panic and depression for about 40 years.