Listening to yoga music before bed could prevent deadly heart attacks

Soothing tunes before a person nods off increases their heart rate variability
Heart rate variability indicates the organ’s ability to change its pumping speed
A change in speed is required in response to danger or periods of relaxation
Low heart rate variability increases a person’s risk of a heart attack by up to 45%
Researcher stresses playing soothing music is cheap and ‘cannot cause harm’

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Listening to yoga music before bed could prevent deadly heart attacks, new research suggests.

Hearing soothing, meditative tunes just before a person nods off increases their heart rate variability, a study found today.

This is defined as the time between the organ’s beats and indicates the heart’s ability to change its pumping speed in response to danger or periods of relaxation.

Previous research suggests low heart rate variability raises a person’s risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke by up to 45 per cent and makes people who have suffered such an event more likely to die.

Dr Naresh Sen, from Sunil Memorial Superspeciality Hospital, Jaipur, India, said: ‘Science may have not always agreed, but Indians have long believed in the power of various therapies other than medicines as a mode of treatment for ailments.

‘Listening to soothing music before bedtime is a cheap and easy to implement therapy that cannot cause harm.’

Listening to yoga music before bed could prevent deadly heart attacks (stock)

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION?

Meditation can be traced back to as early as 5000 BC.

It is associated with some philosophies and religions but is practiced as a secular, stress-relieving activity more and more.

A recent study revealed that meditation can reduce one’s risk of heart disease by decreasing risk factors that can lead to the illness.

Specifically, it found that the practices can lower one’s blood pressure and their anxiety and depression levels.

It can also help people quit smoking, which can lead to a fatal heart attack.

Experts are warning that healthy lifestyle changes such as being more physically active are still the surest way to ward off the disease, but adding that meditation can also decrease one’s chances.

How the research was carried out

The researchers played 149 healthy people, with an average age of 26, different sounds on three separate nights just before they went to bed.

Some of the participants were played yoga music while others heard pop tunes with a steady beat.

The remainder just sat in silence before going to sleep.

In each session, the participants’ heart rates were measured for five minutes before the music or silence started, 10 minutes during and five minutes after.

Their anxiety levels and self-reported positive emotions were also noted.

Yoga music lowers anxiety and boosts happiness

Results suggest listening to yoga music increases a person’s heart rate variability.

This variability reduces when pop music is played and does not change during silence.

Yoga music also lowers a person’s anxiety levels while boosting their positivity. Both pop tunes and silence make people feel more anxious.

Although the findings are positive, Dr Sen stresses music cannot replace medication, adding: ‘This is a small study and more research is needed on the cardiovascular effects of music interventions offered by a trained music therapist.’

The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Munich.

Low heart rate variability raises a person’s risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke by up to 45 per cent and makes people who have suffered such an event more likely to die (stock)

The many benefit of yoga according to science

This comes after research released last August suggests yoga benefits a person’s central nervous system, strengthens immunity and gives people a sense of focus.

Practicing the ancient spiritual exercise also reduces anxiety and depression, as well as boosting mindfulness, a study found.

In addition, yoga increases a person’s levels of specific proteins and hormones that are associated with improved resilience to stress, the research adds.

From a physical health perspective, yoga and meditation reduce inflammation, which is linked to improved function of the central nervous and immune systems, the study found canadianpharmtabs.com.

Lead author Dr Rael Cahn, from the University of Southern California, said: ‘To our knowledge, our study is the first to examine a broad range of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers in a healthy population before and after a yoga-meditation intervention.’

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