We know how important sleep is for our health, well-being and day-time function, but if you're someone looking for a natural way of getting some great shut-eye, where do you look?
It turns out that listening to music can help people with sleep issues and disorders, getting you closer to waking up with a refreshed and rested body and mind. Cosyco will guide you through some of the key benefits...
How Does Music Help With Sleeping Problems?
Listening to music can turn you into a sleeping expert - reducing sleep associated problems and decreasing depressive symptoms in some cases. Much of this is backed up by academic studies, such as psychologist Laszlo Harmat's research paper, 'Music Improves Sleep Quality In Students', concluding that 'Nurses could use this safe, cheap and easy to learn method to treat insomnia'.
There is also information suggesting that it has an impact on the parts of the nervous system that assist the body in relaxing and getting off to sleep. It's also believed that music helps in a more restful sleep experience, preventing the sleeper from waking up during the night, as well as getting to sleep faster and staying asleep for longer.
What Music Can I Listen To?
The kind of music listen to will make a difference - the genre of which is very much down to personal preference - but keep in mind that mellow sounds and slow beats are going to produce the most effective results. Find a rhythm of around 60 - 80 beats per minute (BPM) which you'll find in many mid-tempo songs but if you're not sure, there are many ways online of calculating BPMs and you'll soon be on the way to creating your perfect bedtime playlist.
The best way of finding out which songs will help you sleep is by experimenting with different tracks. When you're ready to sleep you can slowly begin to assess over the next few nights whether your quality of sleep is improving or otherwise.