If you’re the kind of person who puts on music at bedtime and hopes it magically shuts your brain off, science has some good news.
A study claims it has figured out the best songs to listen to if you’re trying to fall asleep, and yes, they actually used a formula to do it.
The most sleep friendly songs tend to share a lot with lullabies. Think slower tempos, softer energy, and melodies that feel comforting instead of stimulating.
In other words, this is not the time for a hype playlist or anything with surprise beat drops. Your brain wants calm, familiar vibes, not a musical jump scare at 11:47 p.m.
The study broke things down by genre, which is helpful because not everyone relaxes to the same kind of music. Rock fans, pop lovers, and hip hop listeners all got their own Top 10 lists.
Rock:
1. “Your Song”, Elton John
2. “Going to California”, Led Zeppelin
3. “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”, Elton John
4. “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight”, The Beatles
5. “Wish You Were Here”, Pink Floyd
6. “The Load”, Jackson Browne
7. “Walk on the Wild Side”, Lou Reed
8. “Every Breath You Take”, The Police
9. “Desperado”, Eagles
10. “Imagine”, John Lennon
Pop:
1. “I Love You”, Billie Eilish
2. “When the Party’s Over”, Billie Eilish
3. “Memories”, Maroon 5
4. “Favorite Crime”, Olivia Rodrigo
5. “The Remedy for a Broken Heart (Why Am I So in Love)”, XXXTentacion
6. “Changes”, XXXTentacion
7. “All of Me”, John Legend
8. “Falling”, Harry Styles
9. “Idontwannabeyouanymore”, Billie Eilish
10. “You Broke Me First”, Tate McRae
Hip-hop:
1. “Sunflower”, Post Malone and Swae Lee
2. “Same Love”, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
3. “Psycho”, Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
4. “Party Girl”, StaySolidRocky
5. “Swang”, Rae Sremmurd
6. “Gucci Gang”, Lil Pump
7. “Broccoli”, Shelley FKA DRAM featuring Lil Yachty
8. “Ballin'”, Mustard and Roddy Ricch
9. “Nonstop”, Drake
10. “Middle Child”, J. Cole