Does music help you sleep?
Yes, calm music may help. In trials, nightly music helped people with poor sleep rate their sleep better. But the “deep sleep” promise isn’t backed. On sleep monitors, music may not change much.
On this page
Does relaxing music help you sleep?
It may, and the evidence is fairly good. A Cochrane review pooled 13 trials in 1,007 adults with sleep problems. They played recorded music daily, for 25 to 60 minutes, for 3 days to 3 months.
Compared with no music, their sleep score improved by nearly 3 points out of 21. On that score, lower is better. The reviewers say music probably gives a large improvement in sleep quality.
| What was checked | What happened | How sure |
|---|---|---|
| How well people felt they slept | Improved, by nearly 3 points on a 21-point score. | Moderate evidence |
| Time to fall asleep and time asleep | May improve slightly. | Low evidence |
| How often people woke up | May make no difference. | Low evidence |
| Sleep measured with equipment | May not improve. | 3 small studies |
Source: Cochrane review, Jespersen 2022
“Moderate” means fairly sure, not certain. People knew they were getting music, which can colour how they rate their sleep. None of the studies reported any harm.
Your next step: play calm music most nights for a few weeks, not just once.
Does deep sleep music give you deeper sleep?
No track has been shown to. That’s the “deep sleep” promise from the top of this page, and it isn’t backed.
Three studies in the review measured sleep with equipment, in 136 people. On those measures, music may not improve how fast people fell asleep, how long they slept or how often they woke.
Think of it like a comfier seat on a long train ride. The trip feels better. The monitors can’t yet show it gets you there any faster.
So don’t expect your watch to show a change. Read how accurate sleep trackers are, and how much deep sleep you need. Then judge music by how rested you feel.
How long should sleep music be?
Go for 25 minutes or more. Trials in the review used 25 to 60 minutes of music a day, so a 30-minute track fits.
In one trial, 60 adults aged 60 to 83 with poor sleep each picked one of six calm 45-minute tracks. They played it at bedtime for 3 weeks, and their sleep improved week by week.
Try sleep music for 3 weeks
- 1
Pick a track
Calm music you find relaxing, 25 to 60 minutes long.
- 2
Quiet your phone
Put it on silent and face down before you lie down.
- 3
Keep it low
Volume just high enough to hear it comfortably.
- 4
Repeat nightly
In one trial, sleep improved week by week over 3 weeks.
Sources: Cochrane review; Lai and Good 2005; NHS Every Mind Matters; NHS: hearing loss
One bad night with music on tells you little. Note how you slept each week instead. A sleep diary makes that easy.
What music or sounds should I play?
Pick something calm you enjoy. The NHS lists listening to calming music as one way to relax before bed.
| Sound | When | What the NHS says |
|---|---|---|
| Calming music | Winding down before bed | One way to relax before you sleep. |
| Gentle music, rainfall or white noise | In the background as you sleep | Can help make your bedroom better for sleep. |
| Quiet music | Still awake after around 20 minutes | Get up, sit somewhere comfortable and listen. |
| Soft music or sounds | If you have ringing in your ears (tinnitus) | Avoid total silence. Soft sound may distract you from it. |
Sources: NHS Every Mind Matters; NHS: tinnitus
No study names a best song or style. A review of 20 trials found plain listening, or music with relaxation exercises, were probably the best options among music methods.
Keep it low. The NHS says the volume should be just high enough to hear it comfortably.
Prefer a calm voice to music? See meditation for sleep.
Still awake with music on?
Don’t lie there fighting it. If you’re still awake after around 20 minutes, the NHS says get up and sit somewhere comfortable. Read or play quiet music, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
Music works best inside a routine. The NHS says insomnia usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits.
Six steps to sleep better with music
- Play calm music for 25 to 60 minutes as you wind down.
- Keep the volume just high enough to hear it comfortably.
- Go to bed and get up at similar times each day.
- Relax for at least 1 hour before bed, with screens put away.
- Still awake after around 20 minutes? Get up, sit somewhere comfortable and play quiet music. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
- Give it 3 weeks. In one trial, sleep improved week by week.
Sources: NHS Every Mind Matters; NHS: insomnia; NHS: hearing loss; Lai and Good 2005
Want more ways to wind down? Try these relaxation techniques.
Drink coffee in the afternoon? Check when to stop caffeine.
When to speak to a GP
Music is a self-help step. A GP can look for what’s causing your poor sleep and may offer CBT, face to face or online. CBT is a talking therapy that helps you change the thoughts and habits that keep you awake.
Book an appointment if:
- Changing your sleep habits hasn’t helped your insomnia.
- You’ve had trouble sleeping for months.
- Poor sleep is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope.
- Your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, you make gasping, snorting or choking noises, or you always feel very tired during the day. These can be signs of sleep apnoea.
- Ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus) is bothering you, for example it affects your sleep or concentration, or makes you feel anxious and depressed.
More on that therapy in CBT for insomnia.