We all need a good night’s sleep in order to function optimally in our day to day lives otherwise, we would crash.
This is one of the reasons why people that have trouble sleeping, invest time and energy into finding techniques that can help them sleep easier and faster.
In this article, I’m going to focus and answer a question related to a very specific tool that is used in music production. It is called, the Metronome.
With that said, let’s get right into the question;
Can Metronome help you sleep?
A metronome can be a useful tool for those that have trouble sleeping that is why it’s used by most insomniacs. It can help you fall asleep easily by can channeling your mind onto something singular to focus on.
Various research suggests that listening to a Metronome reinforces the brains natural rhythm which is sufficient to induce slow wave amplitudes that are needed for sleep.
What is a Metronome?
A Metronome is simply a device that produces an audible click or any other sound (usually set by the user) at regular specified intervals in beats per minute.
Metronomes are usually used by musicians when playing or performing live as a way to stay on beat.
Most musicians rely on metronomes to develop and maintain a sense of timing as well as come up with musical ideas much faster.
Good Metronome BPM for sleep
A good Metronome tempo for sleep is usually a slow bpm matching that of a heart beat. If you have a way to measure your heart beat tempo then you should use that specific tempo on your Metronome.
Of course, not everyone has access to sophisticated machinery or devices that can measure heart rate. This is why we can settle for the average adult heart rate.
A good Metronome BPM for sleep is therefore 40 to 60 Beats Per Minute or BPM. A normal resting heart for a human adult is somewhere between 40 to 100 BPM therefore it’s up to you to choose which Metronome tempo seems to do the trick for you. The general rule is that; the slower, the better.
Why metronome is important for sleep
As I’ve stated, a Metronome can be a good sleeping aid for those that find it hard to fall asleep.
With that said, let’s get into some of the reasons why a metronome is a useful sleeping aid.
An active mind
Most people that find it hard to easily fall asleep look to many sleeping aids to counteract their problem.
In most situations, people that just can’t seem to fall asleep at night suffer from an over active mind.
This is understandable ofcourse because we all lead different lives and the fact is; everyday life can be overwhelming.
it’s not always possible to quite the mind when it’s time to rest.
This is where a Metronome can come into play.
It can easily shift your focus to the click or whatever sound you set which could easily distract one from their own aggressive thought pattern.
If you’re one that suffers from a busy mind then you stand to benefit a lot from using a Metronome.
Sync
A Metronome according to various studies can easily help people sleep due to the fact that it creates harmony between the heart and mind. This in turn creates a calming effect that can further relax you until you ultimately sleep.
Therefore, its only right that a Metronome be employed by anyone having trouble sleeping.
Especially those with a very erratic thought process.
5 Metronome apps you should check out
The Metronome by Soundbrenner
This app has quite an intuitive interface and is packed with all features you need for any tempo related needs.
It has over 20 sounds to choose from which is great because you can pretty much decide which sound best suits you when it’s time to take a nap or sleep.
Definitely an app that you should consider.
Metronome beats
Another good choice is an app called Metronome beats.
This app is designed with ease of use in mind, Metronome Beats has easy-to-use controls for easily increasing and decreasing the tempo in small increments by one touch of your screen.
The visual beat indicators also help you keep track of where you are in the bar whilst enabling you to mute the metronome and still monitor the tempo visually.
You can also create your own custom sound settings or simply change the pitch to make Metronome Beats easier to hear.
Plus it’s free.
Pro Metronome
Pro Metronome is quite the popular Metronome tool with millions of downloads.
The app supports several ways to experience beats and all versions have sound, but upgrading to the Pro version enables Visual, Flash and Vibrate.
Metronomerous
With Metronomerous you can be assured of an Ad free app that allows you to enjoy the use of a Metronome.
It has various sophisticated timing controls that you can use to get the best settings for your intended use.
Also, this app allows you to save your different settings so you don’t have to set them up each time you open the app to use it.
Simple Metronome
For those that appreciate simple apps that don’t take up a lot of space,
Simple Metronome will be the app of choice.
It is a relatively simple to use and you won’t be bombarded with a lot of ads when using this app.
Let’s face it ads can be annoying, especially when all you want to do is sleep.
Simple Metronome can help you get the most out of the app without being distracted.
Natural Metronome
Natural Metronome is another great app that you can try out and use if you’re in need of a decent Metronome.
However, it is my last recommendation for Metronome apps for a reason.
The reason is pretty simple, the Metronome stops playing after you close the app which could be quite a problem when what you need is to have your Metronome play until you fall asleep.
However, its a good app that can help you get the job done.
Music to help you sleep
Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body.
For example, faster music can make you feel more alert and can help some concentrate better.
Upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic and positive about life.
A slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while releasing the stress of the day. Music is effective for relaxation and stress management.
Therefore, I’m going to discuss some good genres of music that you can listen to when you intend to sleep.
Classical
Classical music is one of the best genres that you can listen to when you’re looking to relax and set your mind at ease.
It exists on various online sources these days so you don’t really have to do a lot of looking.
If you’ve never taken the time to listen to any form of classical musical then my suggestion is simply going to YouTube and typing in “classical music”.
You should be able to yield some results that can be a lot of value for you.
Checkout this Youtube channel for classical music
Jazz
Jazz is another great genre that you should look to when considering music as a tool to help you sleep better.
Just like any other genre, Jazz is in many forms and my suggestion is that you look for any form of soft Jazz because it will be of greater use.
Classical Jazz is especially a great kind of jazz for easy listening and relaxation.
Soft RnB
RnB is another great musical choice that you should look to when scouting the Internet for music to help you sleep.
If you have access to Spotify or Apple Music, I suggest you look up “soft RnB”.
You’ll yield up a great number of Spotify playlists created and curated by different people.
Meditation Music
There are also a great deal of meditation music YouTube channels out there and they are definitely a great source for music that can help you sleep.
Meditation Music is usually calming and soft which is great for relaxation so you might want to check YouTube.
Check out this relaxing meditative music
ASMR
ASMR is short for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is a relaxing, often sedative sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the body.
It is sometimes reffered to as “brain massage,” it’s triggered by placid sights and sounds such as whispers, accents, and crackles.
Listening to ASMR sounds can be quite beneficial for somebody searching for sleeping aids.
There is very little research into the benefits of ASMR for sleep or sleep disorders.
However, most evidence when combined with existing studies do demonstrate that ASMR may help some people sleep better.
Therefore, what we know about how ASMR works is consistent with claims that it improves sleep.
For example, ASMR appears or is said to activate certain regions of the brain that are associated with calming, sleep-inducing hormones like dopamine and oxytocin.
Among people who use videos or audio clips to induce ASMR, 82% use ASMR to help them easily fall asleep. It is the second most common reason people use ASMR media, with overall relaxation being the most common reason.
Bedtime is usually the most popular time to use ASMR media, with 81% of respondents in one study reporting that they preferred to listen or watch just before falling asleep. Only 6% preferred to use ASMR media before noon.
One group of researchers interested in ASMR’s use as a sleep aid combined ASMR triggers with binaural beats, an auditory stimulus that is hypothesized to change brainwave patterns. While this pairing appeared to be effective, there are no similar studies based on ASMR alone.
Final Thoughts
Using a Metronome as far as you’ve learned in this post can be a great way to induce sleep.
There are a number of Metronome apps that you can easily download to your phone to help you sleep.
However, not all people will like the sound of a Metronome when looking to sleep that is why I’ve gone ahead and made some music genres that can be used in place of a Metronome.
Furthermore, ASMR sounds can also be a great help and is definitely something you should look into.
Important Links
Stone Kick – Can A Metronome Help You Sleep
Mashable – Fall asleep easier with help from this bedside metronome and light system
Drummer World – Sleeping With A Metronome
Sleep Foundation – Using ASMR to Sleep Better
