Sleep disorders are changes in sleep patterns that increase the risk of health problems and can affect an individual’s daily quality of life. Symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, daytime sleepiness, and excessive movements during sleep.
One of the most common types of sleep disorders is insomnia. Other, less common disorders include sleep apnea (irregular breathing patterns when sleeping), restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy (falling asleep at any time, often without warning).
Some people may experience insomnia during periods of undue stress, but it can come on for no apparent reason and can become chronic if left untreated.
Insomnia Facts
According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation , more than half of the participants experienced sleep disturbances.
Symptoms included difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, not being able to go back to sleep, and waking up very early. Of the participants, 33% said they had experienced “at least one of these symptoms every night or almost every night in the past year.”
Can music improve our sleep habits?
Many people use medications to treat insomnia, but some drugs can have side effects, while natural methods, such as music and meditation, are unlikely to cause any serious harm.
According to a recent study, many people use music to combat sleep disorders. To obtain the data, Tabitha Trahan, from the University of Sheffield (UK), and her colleagues explored the use of music as a sleep aid, using an online survey, the first on this topic. People with insomnia were not the focus of the study; they included the general public.
Until now, data was lacking on how people use music as a sleep aid, why they use it, and what kind of music works for them. The survey obtained data on sleep habits, musicality and open responses on the type of music preferred and the reasons for such choice. The findings have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
More than 60% of the 651 participants commented that they listened to music to fall asleep. They mentioned 14 musical genres from 545 artists.
People who did not experience sleep disturbances also used music to improve sleep quality. The results showed that younger people are more likely to use music as a sleep aid.
The participants are convinced that music stimulates sleep and helps to eliminate internal and external stimuli. Although the survey provides initial evidence on the use of music as a sleep aid, it does not draw any conclusions about the physiological and psychological effects of music because it is based on responses from the participants themselves.
“The largest survey ever conducted on the everyday use of music for sleep reveals multiple avenues to achieve effects that go far beyond relaxation; they include auditory masking, habit, passion for music, and mental distraction.”
“This work offers a new understanding of the complex motivations that lead people to seek music as a sleep aid and the reasons why many find it effective,” the authors conclude.
Reference: The music that helps people sleep and the reasons they believe it works: A mixed methods analysis of online survey reports. Tabitha Trahan, Simon J. Durrant, Daniel Müllensiefen, Victoria J. Williamson PLOS ONE 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206531
