ELI5: How does music help people fall asleep?

r/

I’m not sure why but playing music before I sleep always helps me. My friends do the same thing and it works for them too.

Comments

  1. Sir_Sparda Avatar

    I think it has something to do with distracting your brain from itself. When you listen to music or white noise, you are able to concentrate on that sound. If it were quiet, you would be concentrating on every noise you hear (house creaking, electrical hums, etc.), which to some, causes strain and this keeps them up. Also, not having something distract you from your own thoughts can cause your “mind to race,” thus not able to sleep.

  2. flappingowl Avatar

    I listen to podcasts to fall asleep, I only actively hear it for maybe 10 minutes. If I have nothing to distract myself I end up going through the greatest hits of trauma or getting anxiety about situations that my brain tries to find answers to. Our brains are problem solving machines and sometimes if it’s quiet with nothing going on it’s just decides to go to work, I think the subconscious likey triggers it because the thinking mind knows it’s pointless but still

  3. flipz4444 Avatar

    Because I hate the sound of silence because I hate my own thoughts.

  4. Horse-Trader-4323 Avatar

    When I listen to music while trying to sleep, my body tends to vibrate profusely at certain intervals, which awakes me. So I don’t listen.

  5. Not-a-babygoat Avatar

    No idea. I’ve tried listening to music before but I just can’t fall asleep when it’s playing.