I’ve always been told I have a good ear for music. I love listening to tunes and occasionally playing an instrument, so why does it make me tired?
Listening to repetitive melodies can cause listeners to feel fatigued soon after they begin listening. The effect of musical fatigue is due in part because the brain has trouble distinguishing between sounds that occur simultaneously when there are overlapping tones or harmonies occurring at different frequencies – like separate conversations happening on the same line- some way off in another room.
Music composed with an awareness of this phenomenon will have a more varied sound and can avoid the onset of fatigue.
This blog post will go into more depth on exactly why listening to music can make you feel tired.
Why does listening to music make you tired?
Exposure to sound
Have you ever noticed that after listening to music for a while, you start to feel tired? It’s not just you – research has shown that exposure to sound can lead to general fatigue. There are a few possible explanations for this phenomenon.
First, sensory overload can lead to fatigue. When we’re bombarded with too much information, our brains have to work overtime to process it all, and this can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. Exposure to sound is one type of environmental stimulus that can contribute to sensory overload as our brains try to process sound.
Second, exposure to sound can make you tired because it’s physically demanding on your body. Our ears are constantly having to adjust to changes in volume and pitch, which can place a strain on our nervous system. So next time you find yourself nodding off after listening to your favorite album, don’t be alarmed – it’s just your body’s way of telling you that it needs a break!
Listening fatigue
Have you ever found yourself nodding off after listening to your favorite album for a while? If so, you may have experienced what’s known as listening fatigue. Listening fatigue is a phenomenon that can occur after extended exposure to an auditory stimulus – in other words, it’s what happens when you get tired from listening to music.
While listening fatigue is not a clinically recognized state, it’s a term used by many professionals to describe the symptoms, which can include tiredness, discomfort, pain, and loss of sensitivity. People at risk of becoming fatigued from listening to music include avid listeners and those who work with loud noise on a constant basis.
So why does listening to music make us tired? The exact causes of listening fatigue are still being studied, but some research suggests that it may be caused by the music’s repetitiveness.
For example, people may become tired from the speed at which music is played or from the amount of time spent listening. Whatever the cause, listener fatigue can be a nuisance for anyone who loves music.
The body’s response to sound
Whenever you listen to music, your brain is working hard to process the sound waves. This requires extra energy, which can lead to fatigue. Additionally, the body’s response to sound is to lower blood temperature levels. This means that listening to music can actually make you feel colder, which can also contribute to fatigue. However, the effects of music on fatigue are not all negative. In some cases, music can help to energize and motivate people. For example, many athletes listen to music before competition to get psyched up for the event. Ultimately, whether or not listening to music makes you tired depends on the individual and the type of music they are listening to.
Adrenaline
Your body chemistry can be impacted by listening to music. It turns out that music can cause the body to release adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that gives us a burst of energy and makes us feel more alert. In small doses, it can be helpful. But if we’re exposed to too much adrenaline for too long, it can start to wear us down. That’s why listening to loud music for extended periods of time can make us feel exhausted.
A fast paced song can even increase your heart rate as well as hormone levels, making you feel tired more quickly.
Upbeat songs can give us more energy but could lead to poorer sleep quality if your body is still processing the released adrenaline.
Cortisol
On the other hand, if you listen to relaxing music it can actually help you sleep. That’s because when we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that makes us feel anxious and can prevent us from falling asleep.
Listening to relaxing music can help to lower our cortisol levels and make us feel more sleepy. Choose songs which are slow and gentle, or instrumental music with a slow rhythm to help you fall asleep faster.
Read also: Why do I get sleepy when I draw?
Does the type of music you listen to affect whether it makes you sleepy?
Relaxing music
Relaxing music with a slow tempo and low pitch is more likely to make you sleepy than music with a fast tempo and high pitch. Gentle acoustic music, such as classical or folk music, is usually the best type of music to listen to if you want to fall asleep.
Upbeat music with a fast tempo and high pitch can actually make you feel more energetic. That’s why many people listen to upbeat music when they’re working out or trying to stay awake.
Some people find that they sleep better when they listen to white noise, such as the sound of rain or waves, instead of music. White noise can form background noise which can help to mask any disruptive noises that might otherwise keep you awake.
Repetitive beat music
Music that has a repetitive beat for a long period of time can make us feel sleepy. That’s because our brains get used to the beat after a while and we start to feel less alert. You can find that the beat of the music is almost having a hypnotic effect on your brain.
If you find yourself getting drowsy when listening to music, it’s best to switch to something with a different tempo or style.
To sum up, whether or not listening to music makes you tired depends on the type of music you’re listening to. Relaxing music with a slow tempo is more likely to make you sleepy, while upbeat music with a fast tempo can actually make you feel more energetic. White noise can also help to mask any disruptive noises that might
Ultimately, the type of music you listen to and the way it makes you feel will depend on your personal preferences. If you find that listening to music makes you tired, try Experimenting with different genres and styles to see what has the biggest impact on your energy levels. You might be surprised at what works best for you!
Can listening to music help you sleep?
We all know how important a good night’s sleep is for our overall health and well-being. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, we just can’t seem to drift off into dreamland. If you’re struggling to get some shut-eye, music might just be the answer to help you relax.
Studies have shown that listening to relaxing, gentle music can help to reduce our stress and cortisol levels – leading to a better night’s sleep. So if you’re tossing and turning, try putting on some soft tunes and see if it makes a difference.
Of course, not all music is created equal when it comes to helping us sleep. You’ll want to steer clear of anything with a fast tempo or energetic feel – that’s not going to do you any favors in terms of relaxation. Instead, focus on tracks with a slow rhythm and calming melodies. Before you know it, you’ll be sound asleep!
Read also: Why does reading make me sleepy?
Conclusion: Why does listening to music make me tired?
Listening to music can make you tired for a number of reasons. Firstly, if the music is loud, it can wear you down over time. Secondly, if the music is relaxing, it can help to lower your cortisol levels and make you feel more sleepy. And finally, repetitive beat music can have a hypnotic effect on your brain, making you feel less alert. If you are having trouble falling asleep you can try listening to gentle, low tone music with a slow rhythm and you may find you get better rest and nighttime sleep.