Better quality sleep, improved mood and improved fitness: 6 reasons to listen to music
The new year is a great opportunity to listen to more music, as revealed by new studies conducted in the field. Here are the findings and the reasons that will make you spend a little more time listening to music that makes you feel good
Did you know that music can improve the quality of your sleep? the memory? are you fit And even raise the mood in a short time? Here is a detailed list of some key reasons to listen to more music in the coming year.
Better memory
Studies show that listening to music improves memory, which can be divided into short-term memory and long-term memory, which is also divided into types, the main of which is called explicit memory. Within the explicit memory there are two types of memories: semantic (related more to general knowledge) and event (related to our experiences and memories from the past as well as learning).
Participants, aged 60-84, were asked to perform a series of tests: come up with as many synonyms as possible, learn 15 complicated words in two minutes and write as many words as they can that start with three different letters. They did this in four different conditions: no music, with white noise, loud music and relaxing music.
It was found that the greatest improvement in performance in all tests, indicating an improvement in both memory components, happened under music conditions. why? Because music has the ability to overcome our emotions and bypass them on its way to the limbic system in the brain, which is involved in processing emotions and creating memory. According to the researchers, the music stimulates the system and activates the ability to burn memory.
lifts the mood
When we enjoy ourselves, we experience a phenomenon where an area of the brain called the reward zone is activated by dopamine. This chemical signals to the brain that we enjoy something and should do it again. Researchers asked a group of subjects to come to the lab with two songs that bring them happiness. They then gave the participants a drug called naloxone, which suppresses the activity of the reward area, and played them the songs of their choice. It was found that the participants expressed less pleasure when the reward area was depressed. In other words, by listening to music that we like it is possible to reach a high emotional arousal to the point of euphoria.
Lowers the stress level
One of the main hormones in stress and anxiety reactions is cortisol. Studies have examined the response of participants to a standardized stress test. They were divided into three groups: a no music group, a water sound group and a relaxing music group. It was found that the greatest decrease in blood cortisol levels was in the relaxing music group.
Listen to music that relaxes you for half an hour. If you follow this on a weekly basis, you will achieve a general relaxation just like the effect of meditation and yoga.
cope with tasks better
A study designed to examine whether music can help us perform exhausting work tasks included an experiment of 36 participants who were divided into two groups: the music group and the quiet group. All participants were asked to perform an “exhausting” task. It was found that the group that worked under relaxing music conditions reported an alleviation of the feeling of fatigue and lack of motivation compared to the quiet group. If you have a task in front of you that just thinking about it makes you tired, try putting on a relaxing playlist and work while it plays in the background.
better fitness
In a study in which 24 people participated, it was found that the heart rate of the participants changed according to the tempo of the music, when it really increased in the presence of rhythmic music, weakened slightly in the presence of calmer music and did not change at all when no music was played. In other words, don’t give up fun and bouncy music in your next workout, the results won’t be long in coming.
Better quality sleep
Sleep allows it to be rebuilt and processes such as cellular regeneration to take place. Studies have shown that music significantly improves the quality of sleep. 60 men aged 60-83 who suffered from sleep problems participated in one of them. They were divided into two groups: one was asked to listen to music for 45 minutes before going to sleep, and the other group was asked not to. Already from the first night, the music group showed a marked improvement, in addition, faster falling asleep, better sleep quality and better functioning during the day were recorded compared to the control group.
? Did the article interest you?