Why You Shouldn't Listen to Music Before Bed: The Ban Even Applies to Classical Melodies

30.08.2024 08:13

Many people enjoy listening to music throughout the day.

Favorite compositions help to lift your mood, and can also evoke a feeling of nostalgia, help you overcome difficulties and inspire you to achieve your goals.

There are also those who prefer to listen to music just before going to bed in order to relax.

However, as studies conducted by experts from Baylor University in the United States show, this habit cannot be considered a good one.

The reason is that it results in the involuntary appearance of musical images, so-called “earworms”.

Headphones
Photo: © Belnovosti

You are probably familiar with this feeling, because “earworms” are nothing more than a melody or song that plays over and over in your head.

As a rule, this phenomenon is characteristic of the period when a person is awake, but it can also occur when he is almost asleep.

It is noteworthy that the appearance of “earworms”, and with it sleep disturbances, is more often provoked by instrumental music than by songs with lyrics.

According to experiments, people infected with the earworm experience more difficulty falling asleep, spend more time in light sleep phases and wake up more often at night.

In other words, you don’t even have to hum the melody to yourself – the “parasite” has already done its job, and you shouldn’t expect a full night’s rest this night.

To get rid of an earworm, try focusing on an activity, task, or problem that helps you get distracted, such as planning your next day or writing down the thoughts in your head. And, of course, don't get carried away with listening to music before bed.

Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Editor of Internet resources