MUSIC, ENERGY LEVELS AND THAT ELUSIVE GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP3rd January 2018  We all know that music is powerful stuff. That's the whole point of it, right? Hell, we wouldn't be listening to Metal at all if it didn't thrill the system, pump through the body and soul and make us feel alive. It's actually pretty insane what music can really do for you though... Energy levels are affected enormously by the music that we listen to. It might seem odd to connect something as psychological as music with something as physical as the body's energy levels, but this is the result of that classic, misleading mind-body dichotomy and in fact the two aren't separate at all but are really one and the same. Of course it's useful to make a distinction sometimes, but when you look at the number of conditions that are psychosomatic and the power of psychotherapy to clear up what seem like purely physical phenomena, the connection becomes less surprising.  It's interesting to look at this from the angle of top-level athletes and the role that music plays in their training and pre-competition routines. A great example is Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson who uses music all the time whilst training and often talks about the importance of music for his mood and mentality in his training videos. His listening choices and patterns are not as scientifically controlled as, say, his nutrition or his recovery times; however it's just as important as that side of things because the mind-set and the energy levels of an athlete, particularly in a gruelling sport such as gymnastics, are absolutely crucial. Another area that's affected is sleep hygiene. Now this is a very popular topic at the moment and there's a huge amount of interest being taken in it. It not's just the bed that's important here - it's obvious that having a a good mattress and bed to support the body properly whilst at rest is crucial (and that means proper six foot beds for the taller amongst us!) It's also the things you do before going to sleep that matter, and as more and more is discovered about what helps and hinders good sleep and what promotes our rest, we're discovering things that we just wouldn't have considered a few years ago.  Listening to the sort of music that comforts us and relaxes both the mind and the body can ease us nicely into the much-needed sleep that can sometimes be infuriatingly elusive. For some this will be a little late-night Classical session, and although it's a cliché those chamber music hits of the 18th century really can help clear the mind and relax the body. Of course Metal can work too, though you'll want to be careful with your choices and bear in mind that something that really fires you up isn't exactly going to help you to drop off. This said, even the most violent songs can be relaxing if they're very familiar because often the most important thing here is your own familiarity level with the music that's playing, rather than what might be considered the innate properties of any given track. |
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