Khaberni - A team of researchers has discovered a promising way to improve sleep quality in the elderly using music.
Experts have long advised against using technology before bedtime, abstaining from caffeine, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule, but a new study suggests that music therapy may be more effective than these traditional measures.
In a Chinese study, the research team analyzed the results of ten previous studies involving 602 participants over fifty years old, with listening sessions ranging from 20 to 60 minutes, at musical tempos between 60 and 85 beats per minute.
It was found that participants who listened to instrumental or slow-paced classical music for up to an hour daily were able to fall asleep more easily and get adequate rest. The researchers also noted a significant improvement in insomnia symptoms in most participants.
However, the team noted that two out of ten studies included factors that could lead to biased outcomes, calling for further research to confirm the impact of music type and frequency on sleep.
Experts explained that the effect of music on sleep might be related to the brain's regulation of emotions and the processing of common emotional disturbances in the elderly, as well as reducing cortisol levels, heart rate, and respiration, which relaxes the body and prepares it for sleep.
Researchers from Ningxia Normal University in Guyuan confirmed that musical interventions represent a "promising non-pharmacological approach to improving sleep quality in the elderly, especially given the concerns associated with long-term drug treatments".
Researchers mentioned that music could help form positive psychological associations with bedtime, replacing bad habits that hinder sleep, highlighting the need for larger and more precise studies, with longer follow-ups to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy more deeply.
Previous research indicates that music has the ability to calm the body and mind, control chronic pain, and focus attention. High-frequency sounds stimulate adrenaline secretion and activate the body, while low-frequency music encourages the brain to relax and slow down.
