Facts In Action

Several studies of electrical activity in the brain have found that listening to music stimulates brain activity related to increased relaxation. Researchers from Nova Southeastern University recently applied these findings to a study examining the effects of classical music on children's nap times and whether music helps preschool children to fall asleep more quickly.

Researchers observed 24 children between the ages of 19 and 32 months at their naptime on two days when they were provided background classical guitar music and two days when they were not provided music. The study found that both the toddlers and the preschoolers went to sleep faster following their exposure to classical guitar music than to no music.

Having children in your classroom who have difficulty falling asleep at naptime can be problematic both because it disrupts the sleep of the other children and because it places extra demands on the time and energies of the teachers. When children are sleeping better, they can be more attentive to their teachers and more socially interactive with their peers, and thus are also likely to be experiencing an easier time with learning.

Source:
"Music Enhances Sleep in Preschool Children," Tiffany Field, Early Child Development and Care, Vol. 150, 1999.

Facts in Action, November 2000