Music Improves Sleep Quality of Older Adults

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found listening to music before bedtime can significantly improve the sleep quality of older adults, reports UDiscoverMusic . Older adults who listened to music enjoyed significantly better sleep quality than those who did not. Those who listened to sedative music, which is characterized by a slow tempo, soft volume, and smooth melody, exhibited more improvement in sleep quality than those who listened to rhythmic music. "Based on psychophysiological theory, listening to sedative music can improve sleep by modulating sympathetic nervous system activity and the release of neuroendocrine levels of cortisol, thereby lowering levels of anxiety and stress responses," the researchers said. Studies have indicated that 40 percent to 70 percent of older adults have sleep problems. "Music intervention is an effective strategy and is easy to administer by a caregiver or healthcare worker," the researchers noted. "Music therapy might be the first line of therapy to recommend in older adults with sleep disturbances, which would reduce the need for or dependence on sedatives and sleeping medication."