Earworms: the relationship between music listening and sleep

[bloredude]

“Our brains continue to process music even when none is playing, including apparently while we are asleep. Everyone knows that music listening feels good. Adolescents and young adults routinely listen to music near bedtime. But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. The more you listen to music, the more likely you are to catch an earworm that won't go away at bedtime. When that happens, chances are your sleep is going to suffer.”

A study published in Psychological Science, about the relationship between music listening and sleep, focusing on earworms noted.

The study seems to suggest:

* Individuals with greater music listening habits experience persistent earworms, and a decline in sleep quality
* Bedtime music listening can cause earworms
* Earworms can affect the sleep quality

I don't agree with the ideas expressed. It seems counter intuitive. Just sharing for information, and some chat around it.

 

[Analogous]

“Our brains continue to process music even when none is playing, including apparently while we are asleep. Everyone knows that music listening feels good. Adolescents and young adults routinely listen to music near bedtime. But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. The more you listen to music, the more likely you are to catch an earworm that won't go away at bedtime. When that happens, chances are your sleep is going to suffer.”

A study published in Psychological Science, about the relationship between music listening and sleep, focusing on earworms noted.

The study seems to suggest:

* Individuals with greater music listening habits experience persistent earworms, and a decline in sleep quality
* Bedtime music listening can cause earworms
* Earworms can affect the sleep quality

I don't agree with the ideas expressed. It seems counter intuitive. Just sharing for information, and some chat around it.

Interesting, if somewhat alarming study.
The study cited defines “involuntary musical imagery”
I was curious about how they separated the effect of music memory from other possible physical and psychological causes of sleep disruption, circumstances etc to make this attribution clearly.
Unfortunately the paper and the details of methodology used is hidden behind a $35 paywall.
The abstract is here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797621989724

I do however occasionally experience “earworms” (persistent tunes running in my consciousness) that appear randomly, rarely in my waking hours. Not a unpleasant feeling.
Some humming, whistling and foot tapping happens and lasts hours even at times, sometimes I play this tune and the ear worm disappears.

 

[bloredude]

Unfortunately the paper and the details of methodology used is hidden behind a $35 paywall.
The abstract is here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797621989724

Here you go: https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=223743

I just saved you $35

 

[Analogous]

Here you go: https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=223743

I just saved you $35

Thanks. This is the press release/ media report and not the study itself.
The actual journal publication of the study is at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797621989724
I’d have gladly bought you a beer or two at my local pub if the $35 was saved

 

[bloredude]

Thanks. This is the press release/ media report and not the study itself.
The actual journal publication of the study is at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797621989724
I’d have gladly bought you a beer or two at my local pub if the $35 was saved

Well, unless someone is actually doing research, or needs to quote the study verbatim, the whole study is not needed. The article I linked is detailed enough to provide insight into what the study observes, especially for the target audience here, everyday audiophiles.

Well, I don't need beer or any other form of compensation for helping people here. My advice are free, useful, and well meaning. Just proceed to pay $35 if you need that detailed info. I am sure, $35 is a very small price to pay for having deep insight into such a research.

 

[bloredude]

Interesting, if somewhat alarming study.
The study cited defines “involuntary musical imagery”
I was curious about how they separated the effect of music memory from other possible physical and psychological causes of sleep disruption, circumstances etc to make this attribution clearly.

I certainly did not mean to be rude or cause distress in anyway.
If anything I appreciate your flagging this interesting study.
I apologise for anything in my post that you found offensive.

I agree about somewhat alarming bit.

Earworm is a frequent phenomena I guess. At least I can attest its pretty common for me to wake up with a song playing in my head. For me, it has no connection with what I heard last night. Or even yesterday, or day before. So, I was surprised with the phrase "involuntary musical imagery" when I read it first. They seem to suggest images of the music we heard off late floats freely in our brain during sleep, which is not hard to believe given that we often dream about things we keep worrying about in our awake state.

I guess they studied their subjects categorizing them like - people who listen to music at bedtime - people who don't listen to music at bedtime - people who listen to music for extended periods of time - people who listen to music sporadically etc etc. FWIW, they do claim to have monitored participants for the experimental study during their sleep to determine if earworms had an impact on their nighttime sleep physiology.

I hope their conclusions are not all that fact is.