Blog: Rhythm and Sleep

There are many studies and articles dedicated to our sleep patterns and what we listen to when we try to rest. Many articles recommend classical music or opera, soothing sounds that really encourage us to fall asleep. I recently ran across an interesting article that talked about the use of drums for sleep.

Drums!? The last thing I want is the sound of ACDC blaring in the background while I'm trying to fall asleep. All that clanging and crashing of cymbals makes me want to get up and slam my ipod into the wall just for that peace and quiet we always associate with a good night.

I have always believed in absolute silence when lying in bed at night. I wrap myself up in covers, roll over, and spend a half hour with nothing but my own thoughts to keep me awake. So when I read that a tribal beat could help me go to sleep faster, I figured I could try it out. 

I didn't think that I could just listen to a drum beating over and over, so I picked some favorite music with that sound underneath. My choice of the night? The Chieftains. Not always an immediate pick for me, but my parents always loved listening to them, and I enjoy some of the same music. I set the music to play for ten minutes, and hit the pillow with very few expectations. Five minutes later I was asleep. 

I'd like to give most of the credit to the drums, a low quiet tribal beat that immediately got me to relax and lay back. I enjoyed it so much that I've been playing various songs while I go to sleep almost every night. It still gives me the time to think about my day, plan on what I want to do the next morning, and simply relax. 

I recommend trying it. No guarantees, but with our society and newer generations often being used to music all day and night, the silence can often keep us up instead of letting us sleep. We're constantly watching the television, checking the Internet, talking on the phone. Maybe we need to ease into the silence during the evening, rather than just cutting ourselves off and praying for sleep to come. 

I have always believed that music is an integral part of everyone's lives. Drums can surprise us with a quiet soothing sound, a contrast to what we are normally used to hearing. Now they can help us sleep!