The most popular genre of music for better sleep.
Two-thirds of people use music to help them sleep.
People believe that music helps them sleep by blocking out noises and distracting them from wakeful thoughts.
Indeed, studies are starting to show that music can be an effective sleep aid.
The three most popular reasons people endorse for how music helps them sleep are:
- “Music helps me to mentally relax.”
- “Music distracts me from the stress of the day just gone.”
- “Music helps me to physically relax.”
People felt that music helps them clear their mind of racing thoughts and gives it something to focus on.
It also puts people in a good mood before they drop off.
For some people, music eases them into a dream-like state, which soon turns to sleep.
For others, music is comforting and soothing.
Some people simply liked to know how long they took to fall asleep and music helped them gauge it.
The most popular genre for sleep
Classical music was the most popular genre people used to help them sleep, followed by rock, pop and acoustic.
Here is the full list, from most to least frequently used:
- Classical
- Rock
- Pop
- Acoustic
- Jazz
- Soundtrack
- Ambient
- Folk
- Instrumental
- Indie
- Meditation
- Metal
- Electronic
- House
The conclusions come from a survey of 651 people of all ages.
The results showed that more than one-third said they used music at least weekly to help them fall asleep.
Many regularly used music for sleep despite not having a disorder of any kind.
The study’s authors write:
“The largest ever survey of everyday use of music for sleep reveals multiple pathways to effect that go far beyond relaxation; these include auditory masking, habit, passion for music, and mental distraction.
This work offers new understanding into the complex motivations that drive people to reach for music as a sleep aid and the reasons why so many find it effective.”
The study was published in the journal PLoS ONE (Trahan et al., 2018).
