Why People are Using Sound Healing to Sleep Better at Night

Insomnia is considered an epidemic in our current times. Plenty of people suffer from this condition at least once in their life, if not repeatedly throughout the years. Many other sleeping disorders invade our nights and keep us from having the necessary rest we need. Not surprisingly, people search for methods to sleep better, sometimes relying on medicine to achieve that. It turns out that sometimes taking drugs is necessary; however, there are natural alternatives that work and cause no harm to your body or mind. Practices like sound healing, or sound bathing, are becoming popular because they are easy to follow and have great results.

The Power of Sound and Music

Music and sound have the ability to transport us to places even when our body remains in the same place. Because music has been with us since the beginning of time and it is a way of expression, many have wondered about its healing power. There have been multiple experiments to prove that music not only affects our emotions but can also heal. With this as the backdrop, music therapy is now a natural therapy that can help reduce and treat problems like depression, anxiety, autism, dementia, and many others.

Similarly, certain sounds have the power to evoke a memory, whether good or bad ones. There are sounds that will make us feel alert, while others can relax and even soothe us. Knowing that there is potential in music and sound, sound healing emerges as an alternative therapy that can also help in common, daily disturbances, like sleep disorders.

What is Sound Healing

Sound healing is a type of alternative therapy that uses music and sounds to activate brainwaves, manage energies and alleviate minor symptoms, especially those that involve emotions and the mind. It is similar to being in a meditative state, except that music or sound helps you get immersed and find relaxation.

Some of the most popular methods used in recent years, apart from music, are crystal singing bowls, gongs, and nature sounds like water flowing or the wind passing through leaves.

Scientific Research

It is common knowledge that babies and small children can sleep better and faster with lullabies and other soothing music or sounds. However, before recent years the concept of an adult being able to sleep faster and profoundly with music was not often heard.

A research article published in the National Library of Medicine explored this new phenomenon. In this case, they focused on older adults, ranging in age from 60 to 85, who came from different backgrounds. The researchers considered activities like drinking herbal teas, physical activity, daily routines, and others when looking at the results.

The outcome was that after listening to 45 minutes of music, the participants were able to sleep better. Their sleep was interrupted less often,sleeping more profoundly and for longer periods of time. The experiment lasted for three weeks, and they noticed further improvement the more often participants listened to soothing music.

Another study collaborated with 94 students, from ages 18 to 30 who suffered from sleeping problems, to participate in an experiment to prove if classical music could be helpful or not. The first group listened to classical music for 45 minutes before sleep, while the second group listened to an audiobook. The results showed that those listening to music increased their sleep quality while the group that listened to audiobooks did not experience any change.

Music affects our brainwaves and our hormones as well. Multiple studies have focused on this aspect, evaluating through experiments how instrumental music can regulate the cortisol hormone. When we are stressed, our cortisol levels elevate and keep us alert and unable to rest appropriately.

On the other hand, music releases dopamine, the hormone in charge of pleasure, happiness, and a sense of calmness.

Not having enough sleep affects our health in several ways. Illnesses like diabetes, heart-related problems, and high blood pressure might worsen or even develop. Our mood is also affected, aggravating mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

Sound healing is a proven method to aid when it is time to go to bed. Although you can find many videos on the internet that combine specific sounds and music to help you sleep, you might want to consider visiting a sound healing specialist to give you the adequate tools to sleep better.