Music has a number of powerful effects on our body and mind: including the ability to help us sleep! Here is a collection of some of the best dreamy tunes.
Music is a powerful art form that has the ability to boost our mood, relieve stress, ease depression, provide pain relief, and even help us feel a range of emotions from excited and animated to calm and relaxed. It should come as no surprise, then, that combining music with relaxing meditation techniques can be an effective and influential remedy for chronic sleep issues. Let’s look into a selection of the best meditation music for sleep and relaxation.
Both music and meditation have restorative qualities for body and mind. The two art forms work together to rejuvenate and clear your mind, relax your muscles, and soothe away the stresses and anxieties of your day. If silent meditation or guided sleep meditations haven’t been the trick to put you to sleep, it’s time to give meditation music a try. The relaxing sounds of meditation music can help you take your mind off of the silence of your bedroom as well as your partner’s incessant snoring (we won’t tell!), but it’s even more than that: music can actually help your body to relax by physically syncing your heart rate to the music and preparing your body for sleep.
Choosing the best deep meditation music for sleep is going to be a personal decision that fits your unique needs and personality. First, you’ll need to enjoy the music being played. So make sure you go through the music on this list with that in mind. Just because something is rated as “the best meditation music ever!” doesn’t mean it will jive with your individual taste. If you don’t like the music, don’t force yourself to listen to it. This could create tension and add stress instead of relieving it.
Deep meditation music for sleep
Nature sounds
Listening to the sounds of nature, like that of the ocean waves, birds in the jungle, or the pounding of raindrops, are some of the most common types of deep meditation “music” that people use to fall asleep. Nature sounds have been found to help ease the body’s fight or flight response to stress and can help the brain make the transition from the business of daytime to a more resting mindset. Check out these relaxing nature sounds from all over the world, taken directly from the Netflix series Night On Earth.
Classical music
Classical music is commonly thought of as somnolent music, that which makes us feel drowsy, sleepy and peaceful. When it comes to relaxing meditation music for sleep, try “Canzonetta Sul-aria” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Nocturne No.2, Op.9 by Frédéric Chopin or this 8-hour mix of Classical Music for Sleeping.
Binaural beats
While not exactly music in and of itself, binaural beats are a combination of two different sound frequencies –one in each ear– in order to create the sense of a single new frequency which your body then “tunes” itself to. These special soundwaves have been shown to help slow down brain activity, helping you to relax and fall asleep more quickly. Try this youtube mix of binaural beats by Sleep Tube for your sleep meditation music, and make sure to use headphones to get the full effects!
Ambient music
Following closely in the footsteps of nature sounds is another form of relaxing music known as ambient music. Not music in the traditional sense, as ambient music generally lacks a tune or even a discernable beat, but the tone of which is excellent for relaxation and meditation. This “Deep, Relaxing Ambient Music Mix” is a compilation perfectly suited for your sleep music meditations.
Modern music
Perhaps classical music doesn’t do the trick, and rainforest style sounds just don’t do it for you either. There are plenty of more contemporary musical stylings to choose from that can help you shut off your brain and help put you into a more sleep-inducing headspace, as long as the words don't distract you too much. Here are a few suggestions to get you started building your perfect sleepy slumber playlist:
- Simon & Garfunkel - ‘The Boxer’
- Coldplay - ‘Shiver’
- Radiohead - ‘How To Disappear Completely’
- Arctic Monkeys - ‘Cornerstone’
- The Doors - ‘Riders On The Storm’
- R.E.M. - ‘Daysleeper’
- The Velvet Underground - ‘Pale Blue Eyes’
The great thing about meditation music for sleep beyond its relaxation and stress management capabilities is that it is easily accessible and that it can be helpful for anyone from the very young all the way to the elderly. Use this list of the best meditation music for sleep the next time you're struggling to catch some Z’s. Whether you prefer soothing jungle sounds, classical symphonies or even something a little more contemporary, there is something for everyone to fall asleep to. For even more sleep-inducing benefits, try our OSTRICHPILLOW Loop eye mask pillow while you listen to your sleep music meditations!
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