Music is great for getting people dancing, but it’s also a great tool for sending you off to sleep. Here’s where to find the best calming royalty free music!

Why Does Music Aid Sleep?

There have been many studies looking into why and how exactly listening to music can help people fall asleep. One theory is that music can regulate hormone levels, including the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone, and listening to music can help decrease this hormone. This may explain why music relaxes people into drifting off to sleep.

Music can also assist with relaxing the autonomic nervous system. This system is responsible for controlling automatic and subconscious activities, such as those within the lungs, heart and digestive system. Music can lead to the soothing of breathing and heartbeat, which in turn relaxes the body and promotes sleep.

What Music is Best for Sleep?

A lot of it comes down to taste and personal preference. There is no real consensus about the ideal genre of music for sleep, however some styles are more popular than others. Just as there is an ideal BPM for different types of exercise, there is an ideal BPM for inducing a deep slumber. The resting heart rate ranges between 60-100 BPM, so it is hypothesised that music at the lower end of this range will aid sleep.

Classical music often comes to mind when considering sounds to fall asleep to. Opting for gentler, piano led compositions are generally the preferred choice. Ambient music is also a fantastic pick, as it provides a pacifying soundscape that won’t encourage overthinking or overstimulation.

Where to Find Bedtime Music

Some people rely on white noise, other insomniacs reach for mindfulness apps like Headspace or Calm. If neither of these work for you, or you’re creating videos with the intention of having a soporific effect, check out Synchedin! With a huge library of music, that can be filtered by mood and genre, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect tranquilising tones. Take a look at our Sleep playlist for a collection of calming royalty free music, or compile your very own collection!

If you like to livestream and are looking for a gentle background soundscape, you can stream the entire Synchedin catalogue for free. Should you prefer to download tracks to add to YouTube videos or even a podcast, subscriptions start from just $3.99 per month.