We all love music, it can turn a rainy day into a great day in our minds whilst pumping out our favourite tunes. But how does it affect us? This definitely is an ongoing conversation across social media and within musical and higher conscious circles. Some researchers claim that listening to, for example, classical music raises you IQ and intelligence, while some say this is a myth. Either way, we do love to listen to music as a profound experience whether it makes us smarter or not. To support this avenue of enquiry there are many published and informal findings to prove the resounding benefits of frequencies upon mood, emotion and motivation.
Music helps improve sleep quality
As we know, some music can leave you feeling tired, especially if you are listening to relaxing music of ambient form or classical music. Since music can reduce the sympathetic nervous system activity and decrease anxiety, a study was made to see if it could also impact our sleeping pattern. The research proved that listening to calm music before going to bed helps you sleep and therefore increase your sleep quality. The study concluded that relaxing to classical music is an effective way to treat insomnia.
Music makes you happy
This may not be news for you, but music can actually impact your differing moods depending on what you are listening to. Did you know that there is actual proof that it releases the same feel-good dopamine as eating chocolate, sex, or certain drugs do? So music not only raises your frequency of feel good vibes but also directly impacts your happiness and emotive self. A previous study showed that it also depends on which key and tempo it is in, apparently. The study deducted that music playing in higher tempo and in a major key, leaves you feeling happy inside; but, played slower and in a minor key led you to feel despondent and sad.
Music can increase verbal intelligence
There are many types of research that prove that music stimulates the brain to help improve verbal skills. In a study made over 20 days of computerised training programs, one was featured music and another visual arts. The children in the music group improved and enhanced the measure of verbal intelligence. This correlated with positive changes in the functional brain plasticity.
Music may help keep an ageing brain healthy
By listening or playing music you can actually keep your brain in shape. Research has shown that having musical training is a good brain exercise and can keep an ageing brain healthy. A study of older people was divided into three groups based on their musical experiences. With similar fitness and education level, those with the highest amount of musical training did the best at the cognitive tests they were given and held much higher scores than those with lower musical practice.
If music really makes you smarter … or not, may still be a question without a full and direct answer. Even though researchers have proven that in some people it may provide a healthy impact. Music can make you happier and influence your life with many positive attributes, anything that is purportedly good for your health is worth exploring. I am definitely up for testing these definitions are you?
