Music for the Heart

Soothing Music for Sleep

Listening to soothing music, specifically yoga music, before bed is good for the heart.  According to the European Society of Cardiology, a study done at HG SMS Hospital in Jaipur, India included 149 healthy people who participated in three sessions on separate nights. The study included yoga music before sleep at night; pop music with steady beats before sleep at night; and no music or silence before sleep at night. In each session, heart rate variability was measured for five minutes before the music or silence started, for 10 minutes during the music or silence, and five minutes after it had stopped.

In addition, anxiety levels were assessed before and after each session using the Goldberg Anxiety Scale. The level of positive feeling was subjectively measured after each session using a visual analogue scale.The study also assessed anxiety levels before and after each session. The result was that anxiety levels fell significantly after the yoga music, rose significantly after the pop music, and increased after the no music session. The participants felt significantly more positive after the yoga music than after the pop music.

Dr. Naresh Sen noted that holistic therapies such as music cannot replace evidence-based drugs and interventions, and should only be used as an add-on. Dr. Sen, Consultant Cardiologist at HG SMS Hospital, Jaipur, India, said: “We use music therapy in our hospital and in this study we showed that yoga music has a beneficial impact on heart rate variability before sleeping.” 

The key is to turn on soothing tunes before bed for a healthier heart - we have even provided a link - have a good night's sleep!