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We all know that music and relaxation make good, well, bedfellows. Elsewhere on our site we’ve looked at the links between music and mental health<\/a><\/strong>, for example. We’ve recommended some great music to aid meditation and mindfulness<\/a><\/strong>. And it turns out, in fact, that music can also help you achieve the ultimate in relaxation: sleep. Classical music, in particular, can make for some of the best soundtracks for sleep.<\/p> A 2010 survey by UK chain Travelodge<\/a><\/strong> found that 84 per cent of Britons were in the habit of listening to music to help induce a good night\u2019s sleep. And here is where classical music often comes into its own. The same survey found that 20 per cent of adults liked to drift off to classical music, with Mozart, Beethoven and Bach being the most favoured sleep-inducing composers. <\/p> Here are 11 recommendations for some great classical music to help you drift off into the land of sweet dreams.<\/p> The American composer and pianist Amy Beach (1867-1944) was a master of chamber music<\/a><\/strong>. Her gifts are shown off to great effect in this sumptuous lullaby written for violin<\/a><\/strong> and piano. It’s one of her lesser-known chamber works, but provides light relief at the end of a long day. The continual return of the lullaby theme is comforting and reassuring, as is the use of tonic and dominant harmonies.<\/p> There’s nothing untoward going on here: no loud dynamics, jarring shifts in tonality or moments of harmonic tension. The piano<\/a><\/strong> and violin softly talk to one another, with the theme passed between them. The violin is muted to maintain the soft dynamics. You can hear some of this magical interplay in this fine recording featuring American violinist Rachel Barton Pine<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>Best classical music for sleep: Amy Beach, Debussy, Eric Whitacre<\/h2>
Amy Beach: ‘Berceuse’ from Three Compositions<\/strong><\/h3>