MUSIC MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU SLEEP

4th Oct 2017

With all the hustle bustle in our lives, 24 hours in a day is never enough. We are kept awake thinking about future events and commitments and often have trouble falling asleep. As we lie night after night sleepless the effects of not getting enough sleep start to set in.

The lack of sleep can have severe negative impacts on our health. Chronic sleep disorders have been associated to increase the risk of unfavourable health problems such as cardiovascular disease and obesity.

However, new research shows that now you may no longer need to count sheep to drift off into a deep sleep.

A meta-analysis that has been carried out found that music therapy helps improve sleep quality in both acute and chronic sleep disorders. The researchers analysed 10 different studies and found that music therapy significantly improved sleep quality of wide populations of people. For example, students with sleep disorders and patients post-operation struggling for fall asleep.

Music can be used in hospitals and in homes of a wide range of population to help stimulate a better sleep regime. It is a cost effective, safe and easy method to use.

You can read the full paper at http://www.journalofnursingstudies.com/article/S0020-7489(13)00096-5/fulltext Wang, C., Sun, Y. and Zang, H. (2014). Music therapy improves sleep quality in acute and chronic sleep disorders: A meta-analysis of 10 randomized studies. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(1), pp.51-62.

By Resha Pillai 

BNA Placement Student