Music serves as a self-prescribed method of relaxation for many people. Many of us instinctively turn to music to destress and unwind. But what is the power of relaxing music? How and why does it help us relax? In this blog post, I explore these questions and more.
Science backs it up
Studies have indicated that music can induce a relaxation response. This happens by lowering blood pressure and cortisol levels and increasing oxytocin levels. A recent study in the Music and Medicine Journal, for example, suggested that good quality relaxing music could lower blood pressure (1).
The study focused on individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers composed a song specifically for the study at approximately 56 bpm, designed to promote a meditative state with long and suspended tones. They also varied the frequency of the music from 440 to 432 Hz. Their conclusion was that “listening to low-frequency music has benefits including slowing heart rate and promoting relaxation” (p. 179).
In another study published in the same journal, participants listened to what the authors termed relaxation music. They selected a song titled “Peaceful Journey” by composer and sound therapist Jonathan Goldman, chosen based on recommendations from other music therapists. Their conclusion was that “the combination of music therapy and resonance breathing seems to be a well-received and effective way to induce relaxation and well-being in healthy adults” (p. 104).
Mental Fatigue
Relaxing music can also have an impact on mental fatigue. A peer-reviewed article on PLOS investigated the effects of relaxing music on mental fatigue and performance after a continuous task. Their results suggested that listening to relaxing music alleviated mental fatigue. Have you ever tried listening to music while working on something else? Did you notice a difference in your performance? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments.
Oxytocin and Cortisol
Another possible underlying mechanism of music’s effect could be oxytocin, a neuro-hormone known for its bonding and relaxing effects. Alexander Legge argues in a paper that listening to relaxing music decreases blood levels of cortisol, a marker for stress. The impact on both oxytocin and cortisol levels may explain why some music helps us relax.
Is Relaxing Music Universally Relaxing?
It remains elusive which types of music or specific elements induce relaxation. Commonly recommended for relaxation are sonic mantras, drones, nature sounds, and brainwave entrainment music. However, some people may find Beethoven or their favorite singer more relaxing.
Gender, cultural background, time, age, and many other factors influence how music affects us. We have compiled a list of music specifically for relaxation, but if these selections don’t resonate with you, try exploring on your own. What’s most important is to disconnect from your digital and everyday life and let the music wash away your problems.
Using Relaxing Music to Sleep
Using relaxing music to sleep is quite common. Personally, there was a time when I would listen to music if I had trouble sleeping. Nowadays, I fall asleep quite easily. Sleep, after all, is a state of deep relaxation and rest. Here are some ways in which relaxing music can help with sleep:
- Calming an anxious mind: Have you ever had the experience of not being able to sleep because your mind would not let you? Oftentimes, we ruminate on so many things at the end of the day. This can be a serious impediment to let you sleep. Relaxing music for sleep could then be something to focus on and calm your mind. By focusing on the music you can stop thinking about the things you did or did not do today. Or the things you have to do tomorrow.
- Lowering your heart rate: When we sleep, our heart rate decreases. It also means that by lowering our heart rate we can fall asleep easier. I use a technique all the time that does not use music. I basically count my heartbeats but I count them slower than they actually are. Because of entrainment, my heartbeats slow down, this usually helps me fall asleep in a minute or two! You can also do this with relaxing music. Relaxing music tends to follow slower tempos. The slower tempos can also help your heart rate decrease, thus helping you enter a state of sleep more easily.
- Lowering your breathing rate: Breathing is closely linked to heart rate. And just as the heart rate is slower while sleeping, the breathing rate is slower as well. The logic also follows that if using relaxing music to sleep lowers your heart rate, it will also lower your breathing rate.
In short, there is nothing specific that makes relaxing music for sleep different. Yet, the principles that make music for relaxing can also help you sleep!
List of Relaxing Pieces
Here it is, a list of 10 relaxing songs compiled from music therapy papers, music therapists, and music therapy students:
Peaceful Journey – Laraaji, Sarah Benson, and Jonathan Goldman, track from De-Stress
This was recommended by Pelletier and Grocke & Wigram for physiologically relaxing music. If you like the sound of flowing water, this song would be great for you. There’s an overall feeling of floating on water throughout the 26 minutes. The melodies are very gentle, played on flutes, harps, and other instruments.
Tranquil Space – Laraaji, Sarah Benson, and Jonathan Goldman, track from De-Stress)
This song follows a similar style as “Peaceful Journey.” There is the constant sound of water running. You can hear sounds and melodies swelling in and out.
Rheinberger – Abendlied – The Cambridge Singers
Music therapist Douglas Keith recommended this choral song. It shows that not everybody likes the same relaxing music. There are general things to look out for in relaxing music, but everybody has their preference.
Ambient 1: Music for Airports – Brian Eno
This is a simple composition with piano sounds and some other instruments by one of the greatest composers of ambient music.
Clair de Lune – Debussy
I am personally a fan of Debussy and find this composition relaxing.
Natural Cause – Emancipator
This song was recommended by another music therapy student. It has a set tempo and rhythm so it is more activating than other recommendations here.
Threnody – Goldmund
This is a nice and simple piano piece. A threnody is a wailing ode, song, hymn, or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. You can hear the sadness and poignancy in this song. Yet, it can also be a relaxing experience.
Binaural Beats and Isochronic Tones
I cannot attest to the efficiency of binaural beats, but it is accessible out there if you find it helpful to relax.
Light Drizzle – Chihei Hatakeyama
This is one of my favorite pieces on this list. It does not have a clear beat but rather it is like a waterfall of sounds interacting with each other. Chihei Hatakeyama is an electronic music artist from Tokyo, Japan. He released his first full-length album, Minima Moralia on Kranky in 2006. Hatakeyama’s music is characteristically very slow, composed by repeatedly processing guitars, pianos, and vibraphones on a laptop.
Tears of Unicorn – Masayoshi Fujita
Masayoshi Fujita is a Japanese vibraphonist and composer based in Berlin. He first learned how to play the drums, followed by extensive vibraphone training to craft and play his own compositions. Determined not to stick to traditional vibraphone styles or techniques and theory of composition, he seeks his own sound of vibraphone and new possibilities of it. Masayoshi also prepares his instrument with strings of beads, strips of foil, and similar objects. The resulting new sounds, akin to distortions, help to expand the vibraphone spectrum without eroding the instrument’s intrinsic character or even abandoning it altogether.
Immunity – Jon Hopkins
Jonathan Julian Hopkins (born 15 August 1979) is an English musician and producer who writes and performs electronic music. He began his career playing keyboard for Imogen Heap, and has produced or contributed to albums by Brian Eno, Coldplay, David Holmes, and others.
This piece is from his album also entitled “Immunity.” Immunity is Hopkins’ fourth studio album, released on 4 June 2013, by Domino Records. Immunity peaked at no. 13 on Top Electronic Albums by Billboard in the United States. In Britain, it was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize for best album.
Them – Nils Frahm
Nils Frahm had an early introduction to music, learning the piano throughout his childhood. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of classical pianists from previous generations as well as the music of contemporary composers, before forging his own musical path through composition.
Today Nils Frahm continues to work as an accomplished composer, producer, and celebrated performer from his Berlin-based studio at the renowned Funkhaus. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, and on a mesmerizing scale through his vast stage shows, has won him many fans around the world. Nils has gained global notoriety for his highly developed sense of control and restraint in his work, as well as a breathtaking level of emotion and personality.
Lament – David Darling
““Maverick cellist” is the phrase most often assigned to Grammy-winning artist, David Darling, but it hardly captures the richness, diversity, breadth, and sense of humor of a man who literally redefines the way the cello is played and the way music is taught. His prolific collection of recordings and innovative performance style represent an eclectic variety of musical genres. His playful and unconventional teaching methods have helped open the world of music and improvisation to thousands of individuals.”
Relaxing Music with Nature Sounds
I thought about including this one to also give you a chance to listen to some nature sounds.
Thank you for reading this blog post on relaxing music! Let us know what you think in the comments and what other songs you think we should include in this list.
Sources
Halbert, J. D., Van Tuyll, D. R., Purdy, C., Hao, G., Cauthron, S., Crookhall, C., . . . Kapuku, G. K. (2018). Low Frequency Music Slows Heart Rate and Decreases Sympathetic Activity. Music & Medicine, 10(4), 179-184.
Fuchs, D., Hillecke, T. K., & Warth, M. (2018). Relaxation Effects of Musically Guided Resonance Breathing: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. Music & Medicine, 10(2), 104-112.
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