Music has profound power to evoke emotions and behaviors — including sleep. Just as a ballad causes your eyes to well up with tears or a pop song makes you want to boogie down, certain songs can feel so soothing that you drift off with ease.
These songs are known as sleep music. But how exactly does sleep music work? And what sounds are proven to help you sleep?
Read on to learn about the science behind sleep music and how you can incorporate relaxing songs into your bedtime routine.
Understanding the science behind sleep music
When sound waves from sleep music (or any other type of audio) travel through the ear, they go through a complicated process to get converted into electrical signals in the brain. Those electrical signals can trigger a variety of other physiological processes in the brain, including making us sleepy.
One way sleep music works is by adjusting our state of mind through brain waves. In stage 1 sleep, the brain experiences an uptick of alpha waves, which are associated with being awake but relaxed, followed by an increase in theta waves, which are lower frequency waves that correspond with the drowsy feeling we need to get to sleep.
“Certain rhythms can promote the alpha wave state and help with sleep,” explains Heather Darwall-Smith, author of “The Science of Sleep” and a psychotherapist who specializes in sleep concerns. “Theta waves are linked with deep meditation and creativity, and certain types of music can support that state, too.”
Hearing relaxing music can also trigger the release of certain hormones that may enhance sleep. MRI scans have shown that music can trigger the release of dopamine, a hormone involved with sleep and feelings of pleasure. Likewise, music can also decrease the stress hormone, cortisol, and boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter that impacts sleep quality and helps the brain make melatonin. Combined, these hormonal changes can help prepare your body and mind for sleep at bedtime.
“A lot of people complain they can’t sleep because they have racing thoughts,” says Carole Cox, a licensed marriage and family therapist with Thriveworks in Cary, NC, who is also an experienced musician and provides music therapy. “Natural approaches like listening to relaxing music can soothe the anxious brain.”
Finally, some research has shown that quiet music can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Our bodies use this system to relax after periods of danger or stress — just what we need to wind down after a busy day.
Why sleep music matters for better sleep
Sleep music can provide a deep and revitalizing night’s rest through physiological changes in the body, but it has other benefits.
Playing sleep music at night also helps tune out distracting noises (like a barking dog or traffic noise) and create a more relaxing bedroom environment. By incorporating sleep music into your regular bedtime routine, you can use it as a cue. Every time you hear sleep music, your body begins to realize it’s time to wind down.
“It teaches people a lifestyle habit of how to activate your brain’s pleasure center, calm down your brain’s flight-or-fight response, and relax,” explains Cox.
Interestingly, calming music may also have an impact on stress and anxiety, which can lead to better sleep. In 2022, a systematic review of 24 controlled studies found that listening to music could significantly alleviate anxiety in a variety of age groups. It echoed the findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis from 2020, which found that music could have a “medium to large” effect on stress reduction. Given that stress, anxiety, and insomnia often occur together, finding ways to reduce all three by playing sleep music could lead to not only better sleep but also improvements in your everyday life.
What is music for sleeping?
Any songs that make you feel relaxed and ready for bed can fall under the informal genre of music for sleeping.
Paying attention to the beat can be just as important as the genre of sleep music. Some sleep experts say songs with relatively slow beats, particularly songs with 60 to 80 beats per minute (BPM), can help you fall asleep faster. You can check a song’s BPM with this free online tool.
When you look for the right music for sleeping, there are a few important considerations.
Lose the lyrics. “The most calming music for many people is music without lyrics,” notes Cox. “Soft jazz, classical music, gentle instrumentals, guitar, piano strings, and songs with a moderate beat tend to be most effective for relaxation.”
Explore ambient sounds. Some people may find that certain ambient sounds or static noise can be a tool for sleep. This can include things like binaural beats, white noise, and nature sounds (like chirping crickets or crashing waves).
Follow your ear. Even the most proven song won’t help if it doesn’t sound right to you: Sound and musical preferences are highly individualized, and songs that induce slumber in some people may not work at all in others.
“Take a week to explore different types of music during the day to see how it makes you feel,” advises Darwall-Smith. “Then build out a playlist with sounds that help you get rest and relaxation.”
How does soft and soothing music improve sleep quality?
Whether you’re listening to Pachelbel’s Canon or “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, any song that makes you feel relaxed may have the potential to improve the quality of your sleep throughout different stages of your life.
One study found that toddlers and preschoolers fell asleep more quickly when they listened to classical guitar music before naptime. In research on adults with chronic insomnia, listening to music for 45 minutes at bedtime improved sleep quality. And, according to another study, when women over the age of 70 began listening to music at bedtime, they experienced a significant drop in the time it took to get to sleep and number of nighttime awakenings.
Choosing the right sleep music for you to rest and relax
Choosing the right sleep music largely comes down to individual preferences, says Darwall-Smith.
“I can’t make a specific recommendation for everyone. There are cultural differences to consider, and it’s so personal,” she explains. “Music speaks so deeply to our nervous system. We have so much sensory attachment and sensory memory that’s way below our cognitive understanding of music.”
When the time comes to sample options, Darwall-Smith recommends exploring different genres during the day rather than at night. If you try to do it at bedtime or in the middle of the night, you may end up feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by your choices — not ideal when you’re trying to relax. Journaling about what emotions come up after each song will help you more easily identify the top contenders.
“You want to have scaffolding in place that you can trust. Don’t try to work out the use of something in the last hour before bed at night,” says Darwall-Smith.
Another important factor in finding sleep music is thinking about when you plan to listen to it. Darwall-Smith says that some people may need to listen to something intense to blow off steam in the evening. Then, they switch to something more calming closer to bedtime.
“You might need certain music to help you de-stress and flush out high energy to be able to get into a state where you’re ready to go to sleep,” she says.
Exploring different genres of sleep music
Sleep music can be found in almost every style. But if you’re looking for a starting point, ask the University of Nevada, Reno —it has a list of genres that tend to feel relaxing, including:
- Native American
- Celtic
- Indian stringed instruments
- Drums
- Flutes
- Light jazz
- Classical (especially the “largo” movement)
Sleep music vs. ambient sounds: Which is right for you?
If conventional sleep music isn’t your cup of sleepy-time tea, it could be worth listening to ambient sounds. These tracks focus more on atmosphere and tones rather than structure and rhythm.
Research suggests that some ambient sounds may help with sleep. In a 2016 study, hospital patients in a critical care unit experienced less sleep loss during their stay when they listened to white noise. Some research also indicates that binaural beats with a frequency of 3 Hz provide a boost of delta brainwaves, which tend to occur during the deepest stage of sleep. Ambient nature sounds, like raindrops, have also been shown to help the body escape fight-or-flight mode, which could help you get better sleep.
Scientists have yet to conclude whether sleep music or ambient sounds are better for sleep. It may largely come down to personal preferences and which sound feels more soothing to you.
Other alternatives for sleeping music
Sleep music and ambient sounds aren’t the only types of tracks that can induce slumber. If you’re looking for other sounds to help you doze off, here are a few alternatives to sleeping music:
- Autonomous sensory meridian response(ASMR): This includes any sound that gives you a tingling sensation on your scalp or back of your neck, such as whispering, tapping, humming, or chewing.
- Sound baths: A type of meditative therapy that typically uses various frequencies of tones from things like singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, and bells.
- Bedtime stories: Not just for little kids, bedtime stories for adults can stimulate the body’s relaxation response.
- Guided meditation: Recordings from meditation teachers can teach you how to settle the mind at bedtime.
The 13 Best Songs To Help You Fall Asleep
Want to build the ultimate sleep music playlist?
We asked ChatGPT to identify 13 top songs based on the calming qualifications we identified, including a slow tempo of 60 to 80 BPM, a calming melody, and no lyrics.
The AI chatbot then identified the following songs, which we have compiled into the ultimate sleep playlist.
- "Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie
- "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi
- "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter
- "River Flows in You" by Yiruma
- "Clair de Lune" by Debussy
- "An Ending (Ascent)" by Brian Eno
- "Samskeyti" by Sigur Rós
- "Near Light" by Ólafur Arnalds
- "Remembrance" by Balmorhea
- "Turn Away and Return" by Hammock
- "Porcelain" by Moby
- "Any Other Name" by Thomas Newman
- “Saman” by Olafur Arnalds
Together, these songs create an hour-long journey into acoustic, melodic serenity to relax your mind and help you drift into sleep.
Incorporating sleeping music into your bedtime routine
There are a variety of ways to infuse your bedtime routine with sleep music. In most scientific studies, participants tuned into relaxing music for 30 to 45 minutes before their ideal sleep time to help them slip into relaxation.
Other ways to use sleeping music include:
- Playing it from a speaker in your bedroom to set a relaxing sleep environment
- Listening to sleep music with headphones on to help tune out distractions
- Turning on soft sleep music to help you drift off again if you wake up in the middle of the night
- Using it as part of a nightly meditation practice
- Keeping it on at a very low volume throughout the night to muffle distracting sounds
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to incorporating sleeping music into your life. Experiment with different sounds at different times to see which makes you feel relaxed when you’re ready to hit the hay. Just remember to keep it soft and relaxing.
Joni Sweet is a writer who specializes in travel, health, and wellness. Her work has been published by National Geographic, Forbes, Real Simple, SELF, Lonely Planet, and dozens of other publications. When not writing, Joni can be found cooking vegetarian recipes, practicing yoga, playing video games, and riding her bike around the Hudson Valley. Learn more about her at www.jonimsweet.com.
