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April 21 (UPI) -- Older adults who listen to music at night sleep better than those who don't, according to an analysis published Wednesday by the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. Based on a commonly used, 21-point sleep quality scale, music listeners had, on average, a two-point improvement in sleep compared to non-listeners, the data showed.
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Those who opted for "sedative" music, or music with a slow tempo, soft volume and smooth melody, experienced a nearly 2.5-point improvement on the same scale, compared to those who listened to "rhythmic" or faster-tempo music, the researchers said.
Listening to sedative music at or near bedtime for a four-week period led to a nearly three-point improvement on the scale, they said.
"Listening to sedative music can improve sleep by modulating sympathetic nervous system activity and the release of ... cortisol, thereby lowering levels of anxiety and stress responses," study co-author Yen-Chin Chen told UPI in an email.
"We found that listening to sedative music provided a significantly greater improvement in sleep quality than listening to rhythm-centered music and that music therapy lasting for more than four weeks was most effective," said Chen, assistant head nurse National Cheng Kung University and Hospital in Taiwan.
Nearly one-third of adults age 65 and older experience trouble sleeping, recent research suggests.
Conditions that commonly affect sleep in older adults include depression, anxiety, heart disease and diabetes, as well as those that cause discomfort and pain, such as arthritis, according to the Sleep Foundation.
For this study, Chen and her colleagues analyzed data from five studies that collectively enrolled 288 adults age 60 and older and assessed the role of music in sleep quality.
All five studies analyzed sleep quality in participants using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a 21-point assessment that is commonly used to measure quality and duration of sleep.
Participants listened to music for 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime, according to the researchers.
Types of music used in the studies included rhythmic music such as conga, as well as sedative music, such as classical, jazz and new age.
"Based on our findings, we advise people to listen to sedative music at least 20 minutes before sleep at least two days per week," Chen said.
The study is not the first to find sleep-related benefits for music, according to the Sleep Foundation.
A 2005 study found that older adults who listened to music slept longer and more soundly and had less feelings of sleepiness during the day than those who did not.
It is believed that music enhances sleep by reducing the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which at elevated levels can increase anxiety and alertness, the Sleep Foundation said.
In addition, music may trigger the release of dopamine, a hormone produced during pleasurable activities, like eating, exercise and sex that can boost good feelings at bedtime and reduce pain, the foundation said.
