What song should you listen to when getting out of bed? Choosing the right song could change everything if you have trouble getting out of bed every morning. Join us as we investigate whether music and sounds can provide us with the much-needed morning boost.
What music is best for waking up to?
There’s a Secret To The Perfect Wake-Up Sound, And Scientists Think They’ve Cracked It. Scientists think they have discovered the key to the ideal wake-up sound.
Many of us will be waking up earlier to beat the morning rush as we return to work and are no longer able to roll out of bed and into a Zoom meeting. Therefore, it’s crucial to check that we’re on top of our alarm game.
What sort of alarm, however, awakens you with the highest level of alertness? A little before 500 BCE, Pythagoras posed a similar query. The drowsiness that waking up might cause could be combated, in his opinion, by listening to certain songs with upbeat melodies.
And it seems like he had a point. According to recent research, some alarm sounds do in fact increase our alertness when we wake up.
What song should you listen to when getting out of bed? Choosing the right song could make all the difference if you have trouble getting out of bed every morning. Explore with us the potential benefits that music and sound can…
What noises can therefore help you gradually wake up and are soft, stress-free? Here are some of our recommendations:
- Forest-themed audio
- water waves
- chirping birds
- A stream or river’s gushing sounds
- the flute, piano, harp, and other delicate instruments
- Easy Jazz
- a forest setting
- Raindrops
- crickets chirping
- Your preferred music
How do I get myself to wake up in the morning?
If you don’t have the same luck as some people in being able to naturally get up early, you might need something to get you out of bed every morning. The rousing noises we hear in the morning can affect how we feel. For this reason, picking an alarm sound that suits you best is crucial. Is it a good idea to wake up to an alarm and which kind is the best to use? We questioned Dr. James Giordano, Professor in the Department of Neurology at Georgetown University Medical Centre, Washington, DC. In the following, he expresses his opinions and gives advice:
Be kind.
A soothing sound is preferable to a combative song when waking up. According to Dr. James Giordano, “the ideal alarm or wake-up cues are those that elicit a gentle, relatively gradual shift from deeper to lighter sleep, to then allow a more natural, less stressful awakening.” So be sure to pick a song with a tranquil opening!
Try not to overthink things.
Think twice if you believe that shocking yourself awake will help you get through the day. Giordano says, “It’s best to avoid the often-jarring effect of a sudden loud alarm, which can cause sympathetic nervous system activation.” Our response to stressful situations is governed by the body’s fight-or-flight mechanism. Giordano claims that turning on this response signal, “would force you to begin the day under conditions of physiological stress.”
Sleep gradually and wake up
The best way to awaken is to mimic the natural process of waking up as closely as you can. Giordano has some recommendations for the ideal wake-up environment in light of this:
The best ways to cause the gradual changes in brain activity that mimic natural awakening are to gradually increase the volume of sounds that start out very softly and gradually get louder or even gradually increase the amount of light exposure.
Do you still struggle to get out of bed?
You might simply be a person who sleeps extremely deeply and require a solution, such as an alarm clock with a little twist. But if you’ve tried a range of music and sounds to wake you up every morning and nothing seems to work, it may be time to adjust your bedtime routine. Your body and mind will benefit in the long run if you can identify the cause of your sleeping problem.
It’s important to get up on time.
Nothing feels wrong when you awaken groggily. Additionally, how we wake up can have an impact on our cognition and mental performance in addition to our mood and outlook for the day.
Occasionally, being groggy after waking up has the potential to be dangerous several hours later by impairing our ability to make important decisions (like when making them in a hospital setting, responding to an emergency, in a secure environment, or while operating a vehicle).
Sleep inertia is the term used to describe this cognitive state of decreased alertness. Since it can have serious consequences while engaging in high-risk activities, like driving, it is a growing source of worry.
Are the pitch and frequency of sound important?
What, however, is the best option when selecting an alarm? Increasing amounts of data point to the possibility that different alarm sounds can have a positive impact on how well people perform after waking up.
The effectiveness of voice notifications, such as someone shouting “wake up!” is superior to higher frequencies. They are not as efficient, though, as 500 Hz tonal beeping alarms, which come pre-installed in the majority of cell phones.
The role that musical elements, particularly melody, play in promoting alert wakefulness are another topic of our research. We discovered that how people perceive the “tunefulness” of their alarms also indicates how sleepy they are when they first wake up.
In this situation, people who use alarms with music they can easily hum along to will feel less groggy than those who use a standard “beeping” alarm.
In light of this, we created a unique rhythmic melody that, when compared to conventional beeping alarms, significantly improved performance both during and after waking.
Our goal in creating this test alarm tone was to improve alertness and lessen morning drowsiness.
In accordance with other studies, listening to melodic popular music after a brief nap is beneficial for preventing sleep inertia, and this benefit increases if the music is something the listener personally likes.
How can my wake-up alarm be improved?
How does this affect our daily lives? In light of everything said above, we think the ideal alarm should sound like this:
Additionally, keep in mind that younger individuals or those who tend to sleep deeply should have a louder alarm.
Given that research in this area is still in its infancy, much more work is required when taking into account the default alarms that come with our devices. So, we predict that the number of custom alarm downloads will rise over time.
However, certain designs (like the one above) have been based on the most recent research to not only encourage arousal but also provide increased alertness. Most pre-loaded alarms set to the appropriate loudness will wake you.
How your morning alarm may influence how you feel throughout the day
A recent study found that the sound of your alarm in the morning actually affects how awake you feel. But the type of alarms that seemed to benefit us the most surprised the researchers.
Which songs are the best to wake up to?
You might put forth more effort to get enough sleep if you are more aware of how sleep can improve your waking life.
- Having a good night’s sleep will make it easier to wake up.
- Knowing how important sleep is can give you something to strive for and make it easier for you to establish a regular sleep and waking schedule.
- Instead of watching alarm clock commercials, read scientific research. To have a better morning, concentrate on getting a good night’s sleep.
Analyze your sleeping patterns. A good night’s sleep is essential. A healthy adult should aim for between 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and failing to meet this recommendation can result in a “sleep deficit,” which makes rising early even harder.
- The quantity and caliber of your sleep can be measured using a smartphone or tablet app that tracks your sleep cycle.
- Maintain a sleep journal to track your sleeping patterns and determine whether anything outside of your control is interfering with your sleep.
The best music to wake up to!
* Viva La Vida – Coldplay
* St. Lucia – Elevate
* Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Downtown
* Bill Withers – Lovely Day
* Avicii – Wake Me Up
* Pentatonix – Can’t Sleep Love
* Demi Lovato – Confident
* Arcade Fire – Wake Up
* Hailee Steinfeld – Love Myself
* Sam Smith – Money On My Mind
* Esperanza Spalding – I Can’t Help It
* John Newman – Come and Get It
* Felix Jaehn – Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)
* Mark Ronson – Feel Right
* Clean Bandit – Rather Be
* Katrina & The Waves – Walking on Sunshine
* Imagine Dragons – On Top of the World
* MisterWives – Reflections
* Carly Rae Jepsen – Warm Blood
* iLoveMemphis – Hit The Quan
