Chapter 1: Exploring the Role of Music in Sleep

Many individuals find solace in silence when trying to sleep, while others prefer the gentle hum of white noise. For numerous people, music serves as the ideal solution. However, experts are still debating its effectiveness as a sleep aid.

“Music is well-documented as one of the most researched non-drug sleep aids that can enhance sleep quality and alleviate insomnia,” states Thomas Dickson, PhD, a researcher in music psychology at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

A 2021 research review that analyzed five distinct clinical trials supports this assertion, revealing that listening to music before bed significantly enhances sleep quality for individuals aged 60 and above. Yet, an intriguing study we will discuss later suggests that some music can actually hinder sleep.

When music does facilitate better sleep, it is believed to work by promoting relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety, and decreasing heart and breathing rates, as well as lowering blood pressure—factors that, as other studies indicate, assist in falling asleep faster and experiencing restorative sleep.

Section 1.1: What to Include in Your Sleep Playlist

The types of music that will benefit your sleep are subject to personal experimentation. Generally, softer melodies with gentle rhythms are found to be more effective than upbeat, fast-paced tracks, according to the 2021 study.

In another investigation, Dickson and a colleague approached the subject from a subjective angle, asking individuals which music they felt helped them sleep.

“The music was predominantly dark, legato, and lacked complexity or strong rhythms,” Dickson noted. The legato style features smooth transitions between notes, akin to a Mozart piano concerto or the serene sounds often played in spas.

Subsection 1.1.1: Insights from Global Spotify Playlists

Recently, a study published in PLOS One took a unique approach by examining the characteristics of songs from 985 global Spotify playlists dedicated to sleep. The results showed a broad spectrum of music choices, as explained by Kira Jespersen, PhD, an assistant professor at Denmark’s Aarhus University.

These Spotify playlists feature a range of expected ambient music—soft and often lyric-free—as well as more energetic tracks like "Dynamite" by BTS and "lovely" by Billie Eilish and Khalid. The most prevalent genres on these playlists, as categorized by Spotify, are: sleep, pop, ambient, and lo-fi. This contrasts sharply with a 2018 UK survey that identified classical music as the most favored genre, followed by rock, pop, acoustic, and jazz. An Australian survey reported similar preferences, listing classical, pop, ambient, folk, and alternative music.

“The differences in findings may stem from previous studies being limited to specific countries with small sample sizes, whereas this new study adopted a global perspective,” Jespersen and her colleagues noted.

Chapter 2: The Potential Pitfalls of Sleep Music

Not all research on sleep music presents a positive narrative. Overindulgence in music or listening to catchy tunes right before sleep can disrupt rest. In one study, participants in a sleep lab were exposed to three popular songs prior to bedtime:

• Taylor Swift’s "Shake It Off"
• Carly Rae Jepsen’s "Call Me Maybe"
• Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’"

Half of the participants listened to the original tracks, while the other half heard instrumental versions. The subjects reported experiences of earworms (songs that replay in the mind) and their sleep patterns were monitored throughout the night. Those who listened to more music were more likely to experience earworms, struggle to fall asleep, wake frequently, and spend less time in deep sleep, as reported in the journal Psychological Science.

The results were contrary to participants' beliefs about music's sleep benefits.

“Most thought music improved their sleep, but we found that those who listened to more music had poorer sleep quality,” said Michael Scullin, PhD, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University. “Surprisingly, instrumental music resulted in worse sleep quality—these tracks led to twice as many earworms.”

The study's focus on catchy pop songs may limit the applicability of these findings to other instrumental music.