Sleep specialist Tom Middleton released a special playlist of music on World Sleep Day (March 16) that is designed to help you fall asleep. Middleton, an electronic producer, psychoacoustic researcher, and sleep science coach, created the album — Sleep Better — which contains eight tracks and is 1 hour and 19 minutes long.
A press release about the music explains that Sleep Better is “a series of soundscapes designed to ease the brain into switching off and preparing for sleep, appealing to its natural cycles and circadian rhythms.”
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The press release also says that “the soundscapes have been created based upon research to help the mind and body decelerate through rhythmic entrainment and exposure to psychoacoustic ambient sounds, techniques which have been shown to reduce heart [rate], respiratory rate and even lower blood pressure.”
According to BBC Newsweek, Middleton knows first-hand what sleep issues can feel like.
“Through my years of touring I’ve suffered from insomnia myself,” he said. “I felt I could bring my electronic music and chill out projects, rethink what I was already doing intuitively, and then use science to create soundscapes that actually relax you.”
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So, is this playlist actually legit? The National Sleep Foundation says that listening to music before bed can definitely boost sleep quality and quantity. But it isn’t a quick fix. You may need to listen to music before bedtime for around three weeks before you actually notice a difference.
“While the reasons why music can help you sleep better aren’t clear, it may have to do with the relaxing effect that a good song can have, or the fact that music may trigger feel-good chemicals in the brain,” the foundation’s website explains. “Music can have real physical effects, too, by lowering your heart rate and slowing your breathing.”
The Sleep Better playlist is currently free to use and is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon.
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