You are restless, you can’t turn your head and roll from side to side. Millions of people around the world suffer from insomnia. Some then swear by counting sheep, while others at some point close their eyes when reading a good book. But perhaps the key to a more peaceful sleep lies in music.
Listening to music appears to have an impact on how quickly a person falls asleep, how long they sleep, and how well they sleep – how much time they actually spend in bed sleeping. This is the conclusion reached by the authors of the Cochrane Foundation Germany. For their current report, they evaluated a total of 13 studies on the topic of listening to music and insomnia. These worked for different time periods: from three days to three months depending on the study.
I sleep better with music
What is the effect of listening to music for people with sleep problems and what is the effect of music compared to other common treatment methods? This was the key question of the researchers. While some study participants listened to music for 25-50 minutes a day, others were treated with known methods. For example, a fixed sequence of certain rituals can help with sleep problems. This method of treatment is part of the so-called sleep hygiene education. A third control group received no treatment.
The result: music can likely contribute to a significant improvement in sleep quality. People who listened to music regularly were able to fall asleep a little faster, spent less time in bed, and slept longer than participants in the other two study groups.
Result subject to change
Despite the seemingly positive effect of listening to music, the authors have so far had only moderate confidence in the results. The reason: the participants knew the respective treatment method in advance. The researchers who evaluated the studies also had this knowledge. More research is needed here, for example to prove and justify previous findings or to find out what long-term consequences insomnia can have.
