Lullaby’s are normally for babies and young children, the only age we would usually have someone who might sing us to sleep. But is this because it stops helping when we’re older or do we just find other ways to drop off?
Many people have the TV or music on whilst they are trying to sleep which is generally considered to be a bad idea as it can stimulate you. But if you listen to the right music – something that makes you calm and relaxed - then your quality of sleep can improve.
There is not one song or even genre of music that will work for everybody, Mozart is commonly used as a relaxing melody but if you can’t stand classical music it won’t work for you. Equally a song with a strong emotional connection that you love to listen to is likely to keep you awake. If you are listening to something with lyrics, make them ones you won’t want to sing along to but know well enough not to need to concentrate. Instrumental pieces, whether classical, acoustic or even ‘themed’ sounds like water noises seem to have the best sleep inducing effect.
A study has found that older people’s sleep improved noticeably in duration, quality and speed of onset when they listened to 20 minutes of soft music each night before bed. And we know that this helps toddlers get off to sleep from studies in nurseries and many parents own experiences.
So why does it work? There has been very little research into the effect of music on sleep so whilst most studies agree that certain music can improve sleep, there is currently no clear theory as to why. Music has a relaxing effect on the body, blocking out other noises that might interrupt sleep such as car doors slamming or dogs barking. It can also help stop plans or worries for the next day filling people’s heads; these thoughts could make it hard to relax enough to fall asleep.
If you share the room you sleep in then you will need to compromise about the music and possibly sacrifice it all together once the light goes out. Listening to 20 minutes of music that relaxes you whilst you wind down for bed works well too and shouldn’t disrupt anyone else’s sleep. So why not try a few different tunes to see what suits you?
If a new bed is called for to help you get a great night’s sleep then check out Bedstar’s catalogue of the cheapest beds online. We have brilliant bed discounts and next day delivery on many of our discounted mattresses so after you find a new bed online you can just lie back and relax.
Tags: bargain beds, cheap mattresses, discounted mattresses, good sleep, sleep
