The Art of Sleep: Examining sleep strategies in the general population with a focus on the use of music for sleep

Background: Insomnia is highly prevalent and associated with serious health issues. Despite the negative impact of poor sleep on mind and body, most people do not seek treatment. This study aimed to examine the strategies used to improve sleep in the general population and investigate the characteristics of individuals using music as a sleep aid.Methods: A survey was distributed via Facebook advertisements to Danish adults aged 18 and above. Among 3667 responders, a representative subsample of 1195 participants was randomly selected based on age and sex. Insomnia symptoms were assessed using the Bergen Insomnia Scale. Data analysis involved chi-square tests and logistic regression with adjustments for age, sex, education and insomnia status. Results: This study found that nearly all participants utilized strategies to aid their sleep, with the most common strategies being “following a routine” (73%), “reducing caffeine in the afternoon/evening” (65%) and “lowering the temperature in the bedroom” (62%). Individuals with insomnia utilized significantly more strategies compared to those without insomnia. Among the participants, 29% reported using music for sleep, with 4.5% using music almost daily. Music users tended to be younger and more likely to suffer from insomnia.Conclusions: By evaluating a broad range of sleep strategies, this study shows that people do several things to promote sleep in their daily lives. More strategies are used by people with insomnia, but people without insomnia consider specific behaviours to facilitate sleep as well. This research enhances our understanding of sleep behaviour, providing an important fundament for targeting future public health interventions to improve sleep in the general population.