Relaxation music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. Faster music can make you feel more alert and help you concentrate better. Upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic and give you a positive outlook on life. A slower tempo can calm your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while you relieve the stress of the day. Music is an effective tool for relaxation and stress management.
Music is the shorthand of emotion.
Leo Tolstoy
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Relaxation music piano
Relaxation music nature & forest
Relaxation music nature sounds: sea noise – waves for deep relaxation
Does music really contribute to relaxation?
Research confirms these personal experiences with relaxation music. Recent findings show that music at 60 beats per minute can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat and produce alpha brainwaves (frequencies of 8 – 14 hertz or cycles per second). These alpha brainwaves occur when we are relaxed and conscious. To produce sleep (a delta brainwave of 5 hertz), a person must listen to soothing music in a relaxed position for at least 45 minutes. Researchers at Stanford University have found that listening to music seems to be able to alter brain function to the same extent as medication. They noted that music is something that almost everyone has access to, making it an easy way to relieve stress.
So what kind of relaxation music best relieves stress? Somewhat surprisingly, Native American, Celtic and Indian stringed instruments, drums and flutes are very effective at relaxing the mind, even when played moderately loud. Sounds of rain, thunder, and nature can also be relaxing, especially when mixed with other music such as light jazz, classical music (the “Largo” movement), and easy listening music.
Since music rarely specifies the beat frequency, the question is how to choose the most appropriate relaxation music for you. The answer lies partly with yourself: First, you must like the music being played, and then it must relax you. You can start by simply trying out the music on this website. Some will relax you, some will not. Forcing yourself to listen to relaxation music that irritates you can create tension instead of relieving it. If this happens, search the Internet for alternatives or ask the counseling center staff for other music suggestions.
It’s important to remember that calming your mind doesn’t mean you automatically feel sleepy. It means that your brain and body are relaxed, and with your new calm self, you can then function optimally in many activities.
Relaxation music for babies and children
Seit Generationen werden überall auf der Welt Lieder und Entspannungsmusik für Babys und Kinder gesungen, um sie zu beruhigen und ihnen zu einem gesunden Schlaf zu verhelfen. Bestimmte Vorteile liegen auf der Hand – Entspannung und Stärkung der Beziehung zwischen Eltern und Kind – aber ist da nicht noch mehr?
Studies have shown that relaxation music for babies and children can have a positive effect on brain development, cognitive perception and memory, giving children a mental boost, especially if it is listened to from birth or even earlier.
It is debatable whether these benefits are long-term or temporary. However, we believe that there are undoubted benefits to infants experiencing music and children learning and performing it.
What kind of relaxation music for babies and children should I choose?
Many parents wonder what can be done to help their child fall asleep faster and stay calm throughout the night. By far the best music for bedtime is classical pieces by Mozart, Beethoven and Vivaldi. It’s a good idea to play music that parents like too, so it doesn’t get too tiring. Music boxes or music projectors are a good choice for bedtime music for babies. These feature soothing music or nature sounds. In addition, the projectors can display pictures from fairy tales or graphics from the sea or nature. Such images, combined with music, have a relaxing effect and enable restful sleep.
According to some researchers, it is good that sleep music for children is introduced at a time when delta waves are predominant in the brain. These waves occur when the body is deeply asleep and relaxed. Relaxing music is also very good for children, as it brings calmness and can improve the child’s mood. If your child falls asleep better to a certain type of music, it is a good idea to introduce a music ritual before bedtime. In this way, the child learns to find peace and joy in listening to pleasant rhythms at the end of the day. So, music can not only soothe, but also help to develop good habits and maintain a state of relaxation.
Relaxation music for dogs
Various YouTube music channels have started creating special mixes of ambient sounds and background music exclusively for dogs.
Here, relaxation music for dogs is played, consisting of slow sounds and soothing melodies, and instruments such as flutes and pianos are used to calm an anxious dog. And the best part?
Each music mix is twelve to fifteen hours long. If the dog needs to be left alone for an extended period of time, this is the right music for him.
That’s right, research has proven that relaxing music for dogs can help calm your dog. So why not use music to relax your dog?
Other stations offer a variety of services.
For example, “PetTunes” offers live videos of nature scenes, such as birds eating from a feeder or rabbits hopping through a field.
Relaxation music for dogs includes background sounds from nature, such as birds chirping, wind sounds, chipmunks chirping, and people talking in low voices.
This is a great option for “dog TV” that further distracts dogs from their anxieties, as they can not only hear music, but also see something that helps them stay calm.
Relaxation music to fall asleep
According to scientists, listening to music during sleep calms the senses, regenerates the body, improves memory and relieves pain. Sound therapy is considered an excellent treatment for insomnia in adults. In turn, sleep music for babies can positively influence the development of the infant.
In science, people have long spoken of the Mozart effect, which improves cognitive abilities and increases memory and intelligence performance in children and adults. In fact, listening to classical music before bed can have a positive effect on academic and school performance during the day. Conversely, those who have difficulty falling asleep and suffer from insomnia should prefer to listen to soft music that is relaxing and restorative to fall asleep.
Relaxation music: listen to your favorite music
Listening to your favorite music may have more health benefits than you think. Here’s how songs can relieve stress and help you heal.
It’s only when we forget our headphones that we realize how much we rely on music to get us through the day. Our favorite music seems to be able to cheer us up before an important moment, calm us down when we’re upset, and pretty much everything in between.
But is there actually a scientific explanation for this? As it turns out: yes!
Music has been extensively studied and revered throughout human history for its ability to entertain and heal. Countless experts have studied how listening to music can have a therapeutic effect on a range of mental and physical illnesses, or simply as a way to cope with everyday life.
Current research suggests that relaxation music can significantly help reduce stress and anxiety, relieve pain, improve concentration, and more.
How can listening to music relieve stress?
Stress – the feeling of emotional strain, being overwhelmed or unable to cope with something – affects our psyche and body.
Stress has biological effects that cause the body to release certain hormones and chemicals that activate the brain in certain ways. For example, when we are highly stressed, our heart rate and blood pressure can increase, and our adrenal glands begin to produce cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone.”
In the short term, cortisol can help us find the focus and energy we need to cope with a difficult situation, but when the body is exposed to an excess of cortisol over a long period of time, it leads to a constant, exhausting state of fight, flight or freeze. Prolonged or chronic stress can lead to the development of anxiety, depression, chronic pain and more.
Over time, relaxation music has proven to be extremely successful as a means of stress relief. The calming effects of certain types of music, such as classical and ambient, have long been researched, but listening to your personal favorite music, regardless of genre, also has benefits.
A 2020 review of research on music and stress shows that listening to music can do the following:
- lower heart rate and cortisol levels
- Release endorphins and can improve our sense of well-being
- Distract us, lowering physical and emotional stress levels
- can reduce stress-related symptoms, whether used in a clinical setting or in daily life
What does the research say?
Most research on the health effects of relaxation music focuses on its ability to calm us and reduce stress. In recent years, this research has evolved in exciting and surprising new directions.
Recent findings include the following:
- Benefits in the treatment of mental illness: A review of 349 studies on the benefits of relaxation music in the treatment of mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, found that 68.5% of music-based interventions resulted in positive outcomes.
- Reduction in cortisol levels: a recent 2021 study showed that adults who listened to both personal and neutral music at home and in a laboratory setting had significantly lower cortisol levels. This was found regardless of the type of music.
- Reduced risk of burnout: Music therapy has also been beneficial in preventing burnout in operating room staff. A 6-week study by Trusted Source found that staff who listened to music for 30 minutes a day for a month reported lower stress levels and less emotional exhaustion.
- Improved Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease: Research has shown that music interventions can have positive effects on the behavior and cognition of people with Alzheimer’s disease, especially when used in the form of personalized playlists for relaxation, improving quality of life.
- Helps you fall asleep: 62% of respondents to a 2018 Trusted Source survey said they use music (from a variety of genres) to help them fall asleep, primarily because it relaxes them and distracts them from daily stressors. People who used less music were more likely to have poorer sleep quality.
- Lower anxiety in children: A 2021 review of articles from 2009 to 2019 found that relaxation music significantly reduced children’s anxiety before and during medical procedures.
- Helps people cope with the pandemic: A Trusted Source survey of more than 5,600 people from 11 countries found that music played a very important role in helping people cope and improve their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, across all cultural, age, and gender boundaries.
Music as meditation
Meditation is an ancient tradition practiced in cultures around the world and an integral part of some religions and types of yoga. There are many types of meditation, and some are used to treat mental and physical ailments.
Usually, meditation aims to focus, center, calm or direct attention. It can also help to relax our body. Therefore, for some people, it combines well with music.
Often the music used for meditation has a slow tempo, which can lower the heart rate and also reduce anxiety and stress. Guided meditation uses music with a speaker who directs the flow of energy and concentration or offers positive affirmations.
Music Therapy
Music therapy is different than just listening to music, although listening is an important part of it!
Music therapists work with a variety of patients of all ages. As with other forms of therapy, including art therapy, music therapists schedule individualized sessions to help you achieve your goals.
Music therapy may include goal-directed music listening, music making and composing, and song writing, among other activities. This type of “purposeful” interaction with music can help you work through emotions or issues that are bothering you, promote positive feelings, and even help with speech or physical therapy.
A 2015 study by Trusted Source compared the effect of music therapy with a therapist to that of music medicine (in which music is played without a therapist) in people with cancer. Although all types of music listening showed positive results, 77% of patients preferred music therapy sessions to listening to music alone.
Are certain types of music better for relieving stress?
Certain genres of lyric-less music, such as classical and ambient, have been the subject of most research studies on music and stress in the past. While there is evidence that they can relieve stress and anxiety, that doesn’t mean they are “better” than other genres of music.
Many of the studies mentioned in this article involved listening to multiple genres of music or songs chosen by both participants and researchers. The American Music Therapy Association states that “all genres of music can be useful in effecting change in a client’s or patient’s life.”
We also use different types of music for different purposes. Since we all have a special relationship with our favorite songs and genres, we can use them to evoke certain emotions and feelings related to that relationship. Example:
- Classical music is associated with a calming, soothing effect.
- Rap music can be inspirational and motivational when we are in a bad mood or facing difficult life circumstances.
- Heavy metal music can promote “identity development” and help us feel more at ease.
Musicians, researchers and music therapists have even claimed to have created the most “relaxing” song ever, called “Weightless.” But you’ll have to decide for yourself.
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