Scientists keep time on music that helps people sleep

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Experts believe this is because there is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to the kind of music people choose for sleep – and in some cases, familiarity with the song may potentially aid relaxation. Kira Vibe Jespersen, an assistant professor at the Centre for Music in the Brain at Aarhus University in Denmark, told the PA news agency: “Our hypothesis is that familiarity with the music makes the music very predictable to the brain, and this predictability may enable sleep, despite the music being upbeat and energetic. Our hypothesis is that familiarity with the music makes the music very predictable to the brain, and this predictability may enable sleep Kira Vibe Jespersen Results showed tracks typically associated with sleep, such as being quieter and slower than other music, featured on people’s playlists. “I was expecting some degree of variation, but not that much.” She said without any sleep data from the users, the team cannot be certain whether music with a higher degree of energy helps induce sleep, but added that choosing music that helps with relaxation and emotion regulation, and masks external sounds, can be useful.