Listening to songs before going to bed destroys sleep, research says
Austin: US experts have found in two separate studies on 249 volunteers that people who listen to songs and music before going to bed do not sleep well.
It is generally believed that listening to melodious music and songs shortly before bedtime leads to a good and restful sleep, but the results of this research are quite the opposite.
In the first study, Dr. Michael Scowlin of Baylor University, Texas, and his colleagues recruited 199 volunteers with an average age of about 36 years. The second study involved 50 volunteers with an average age of about 21 years.
In both studies, volunteers were asked to listen to their favorite songs and melodies shortly before bedtime, after which they were assessed for brain activity and sleep quality during sleep.
Most of the volunteers who slept after listening to the songs and melodies said that when they woke up, they felt as if they had not fallen into a deep sleep.
Some volunteers even reported that the music they heard shortly before bedtime resonated in their ears during sleep, affecting their sleep and opening their eyes.
Dr. Scully acknowledges that these findings are contrary to popular belief and need to be explored further.