# Music for Insomniacs



## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I often encounter the frustrating problem of trying desperately to sleep, but being completely incapable of it - as is the case right now! 

I'm not sure how many varieties of insomnia there may be, but my own brand is one of extreme tiredness, with the cognitive inability to achieve sleep (as opposed to, say, feeling constantly alert). But this prompted me to consider whether certain music can be more moving, or even more enlightening, if in a fatigued state of mind.

For example, on one occasion when I had attempted sleep for four or five hours and failed miserably, I went for a walk at around 5am for an hour, and listened to Schumann's _Kinderszenen_ among other things, which I greatly enjoyed in that moment. However, what sticks in my mind is that, when I got back home and lay on the sofa in the morning sunlight, Satie's _Gymnopedies_ and _Gnossiennes_ were so much more striking than ever before - perhaps even unexpectedly profound for such little, ambient pieces.

So, has anyone ever experienced music more favourably or vividly in an otherwise groggy and languid frame of mind? Or do you perhaps have any suggestions? For such extreme tiredness, I'd recommend steering clear of orchestral or even chamber music, but that doesn't mean I'd want to listen to a lullaby 

On reflection, I'm hoping that this isn't just a sad indulgence in stereotypically 'dreamy' music in the small hours!


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Actually, if I ever have insomnia, music is the _culprit_, not the solution. If I have music running in my head, it can be there for hours. I can never ever fall asleep listening to music, although sometimes I listen to a song right before I go to sleep to put me in a good mood, anything quiet really.

The best cure is try to knock everything out of your head.


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## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

A week or two ago I woke up and went to play some music. It was Rostropovich playing Brahms Grieg and Shosta Sonatas. I got back to bed, and when I was on the border between sleep and awakeness(I think that's the word) I heard the Grieg, and was all like: Wow what's that amazing music?!!? It was so unique perspective and made me love on first hearing.
and one time when I was on my beginning with Ravel's SQ I tried to go to sleep with it (I always go to sleep with music) I just couldn't fall asleep. But dont worry, I love it.
And when I cant fall asleep, Brahms Op. 120 always do the work.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

The electronic music by *Stockhausen* on the EMI disc below always puts me in a good mood to sleep if I play it before bed time. This is kind of like ambient, chill out music. The musicians, playing ancient synthesisers, respond to sounds coming from short wave radios. These are basically chance-based works, but Stockhausen got back to more strict notation later. This was only a short phase for him, from what I can gather...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Andre said:


> The electronic music by *Stockhausen* on the EMI disc below always puts me in a good mood to sleep if I play it before bed time.


:lol: I'm sure it does.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Not that I have trouble falling asleep - quite the opposite! But I agree with others that the more interesting the music, the more I am likely to want to stay awake and listen. I tend to stream ambient music when I sleep, and I too have experienced that unusual waking edge when even the simplest music sounds profound.

I also experience the tweaked mental state of taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor for social anxiety. I think this has had a slight effect of making music a little less profound to me, not enough to ruin my enjoyment of it. I'm just a little more flat lined emotionally. As it also makes me have trouble staying awake I wonder if just the opposite is happening for Polednice. I know there is a relationship between serotonin and sleep, though I don't profess to understand what it is.

At any rate, sorry to hear you are having trouble sleeping.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Weston said:


> I also experience the tweaked mental state of taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor for social anxiety. I think this has had a slight effect of making music a little less profound to me, not enough to ruin my enjoyment of it. I'm just a little more flat lined emotionally. As it also makes me have trouble staying awake I wonder if just the opposite is happening for Polednice. I know there is a relationship between serotonin and sleep, though I don't profess to understand what it is.


That's very interesting, particularly because I'm taking SSRIs myself! It's interesting that you should describe yourself as a little more flat-lined emotionally, because one of my apprehensions about taking SSRIs was of not feeling the creativity brought on by depression, though it was simply too painful for me to _not_ take drugs. I haven't properly considered if it affects my emotional reception of music though... [My sleep is actually made difficult by tumour-induced high calcium, but that'll be sorted out soon  ]


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

I'd recommend anything by Philip Glass. The sheer monotony and lack of invention will soon have you off in the land of Nod.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

For me, Prelude in Zolpidem by Melatonin.


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## haydnfan (Apr 13, 2011)

I like Chopin or Bach to sooth my soul at night.


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## suhwahaksaeng (Apr 17, 2011)

Someone made a computer recording of Faure's Pavane, repeated over and over for about a half hour.
I don't know where to find that recording, but I made such a file myself, also using Faure's Pavane, on my Cakewalk program.
I have used that file as an insomnia cure.


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