Boards
I’m pretty sure you don’t need to be convinced to start listening to music. No matter what kind of music you’re into, everyone has a favorite band, singer or song because music is, to put it lightly, amazing. It has the power to conjure up memories you thought you lost, it can make you happy when you’re feeling bummed out and it can speak to you in a way that no real person can. Oh, and it also has some other really cool benefits we weren’t aware of… until now.
A new study proves that listening to music while you’re sleeping not only helps you sleep better (insomniacs, take note), but it also boosts your brain power. Researchers found that “playing sounds synchronized to the rhythm of the slow brain oscillations of people who are asleep enhances these oscillations, which boosts their memory and improves the quality of their sleep.” What this means without all of the fancy doctor words is that when you listen to music with a rhythm that matches what’s going on in your brain, your memory is improved and you’ll have less trouble sleeping through the night.
I don’t think this means you can start to listening to whatever kind of music you like – heavy metal or rock probably isn’t something with this kind of rhythm. As Dr. Jan Born says, “Importantly, the sound stimulation is effective only when the sounds occur in synchrony with the on-going sloe oscillation rhythm during deep sleep.” Unfortunately, the doctor doesn’t really give us any hints on what kind of music we should be listening to. In general, I would go with something relaxing and calm.
Another benefit of music? It can give us just as much pleasure as sex does. Say what?! Canadian scientists recently found that listening to music activates the same part of our brain that gets activated when we have sex or eat our favorite foods. And the more you love the song you’re listening to, the stronger the connection is. So, yes – music really can make us that happy.
What can we do with this information? Um, start listening to a lot more music! And, good news, the upcoming summer months are the perfect time to get into some new music and start expanding your horizons. Not only are a ton of our favorite artists going on tour (Beyonce, Selena Gomez, Rihanna, to name a few), but summer is also the season of music festivals. I guarantee that no matter where you live, there will be a music festival happening somewhere near by. And let me tell you guys, these are totally worth the money and time. Music festivals are the best place to get introduced to new bands, singers and genres (not to mention new friends) and they’re also just super fun.
In conclusion, if you’re having a hard time sleeping, you should try listening to music. If you’re looking to boost your memory (always helpful), listen to music. If you want to be happier… you guessed it… listen to music! Now you have three legit excuses to blast those headphones – just not too loud.
Has music ever helped you sleep better? What’s your favorite song right now? Who is your favorite band or artist? Tell us in the comments!
Can listening to music make driving dangerous?
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!
