A new study has found that listening to calming music enhances sleep quality in older adults. According to an analysis published on Wednesday by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, seniors who listen to music at night sleep better than those who do not.
In the study, researchers analyzed data from five studies that collectively included 288 adults aged 60 and older and evaluated the role of music in their sleep quality. All five studies assessed the participants' sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a 21-point scale commonly used to measure the quality and duration of sleep.
Participants listened to music for 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime, with the types of music used in the studies including rhythmic music as well as calming music, such as classical and jazz.
The data showed that sleep improved by two points in seniors who listened to rhythmic music compared to those who did not listen to music. The results also indicated that those who chose "calming" music, or music with a slow rhythm and smooth melody, experienced an improvement of approximately 2.5 points on the same scale, compared to those who listened to "rhythmic" music.
The researchers noted that listening to calming music at bedtime for four weeks resulted in an improvement of about three points on the scale.
Co-author of the study, Yin Chen Chen, stated that listening to calming music can improve sleep by modulating sympathetic nervous system activity and releasing cortisol, thereby reducing levels of anxiety and stress responses.
It is noted that conditions commonly affecting sleep in the elderly include depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, as well as issues causing discomfort and pain, such as arthritis, according to the UPI website.
