| Music has the power to excite and soothe. Listening | | | | groups. |
| to that favorite passage in your favorite song | | | | What you can take from this is you should observe |
| relaxes you like nothing else. | | | | yourself when you listen to different styles of music |
| Until recently, there has been little scientific research | | | | you like. Try to match your music to the tempo and |
| to support the effectiveness of music to combat | | | | rhythm you feel in your mind. For example, some |
| specific ailments or maladies. It has been studies and | | | | people really dislike classical music in any form and |
| found that music has an affect on some key areas | | | | respond better to country because that is the style |
| of the mind that regulates certain biological functions. | | | | of music that resonates with that person's |
| We always suspected that music had a calming and | | | | personality and preferences. |
| even a healing effect but now there is evidence to | | | | There is also hope for insomniacs. As adults age, |
| prove why. | | | | some begin to have difficulty falling asleep. Soft, |
| The best choice of music depends upon each | | | | peaceful music, again matched to the individual's |
| individual's taste and preference. Whether it is first | | | | personal taste, can have a profound effect on their |
| thing in the morning or late in the evening also | | | | level of relaxation which in turn leads to falling asleep. |
| depends upon the choice of the listener. | | | | Try and create a calm, cool environment. Make the |
| Researchers speculate that when a person listens to | | | | room quiet and dark. Do not watch tv or read. Do |
| a particular passage of music, it can bring up positive | | | | not exercise or exert yourself within two hours of |
| memories that person associates with that specific | | | | bedtime. I use an MP3 player with a small stereo |
| song. This can cause an overall relaxation effect that | | | | boom box. I set the timer on both for 45 minutes so |
| lowers respiration rate, heart rate and even blood | | | | that it will turn off by itself. |
| pressure. In a study published in the British Journal of | | | | Pick a style of music that you find relaxing. This could |
| Health Psychology, volunteers were asked to solve a | | | | even be music with embedded recordings of nature |
| difficult math problem. After three stressful minutes, | | | | such as water falls, waves at the beach or the sound |
| they were divided into separate groups and listened | | | | of wildlife, whatever works for you. I personally have |
| to passages of jazz, pop and classical music. Those | | | | a classical playlist with these sounds and I can never |
| who listened to classical music had lower systolic | | | | make it past the third song! |
| blood pressure readings than those in the other two | | | | |