A Science-Backed Approach to Ease Insomnia: The Relaxing Power of Birdsong

In this episode, Scooter from the Sleep With Me Podcast shares his struggles with insomnia and how he tried a science-backed practice to help ease his stress and get to sleep. As a child, he always found it difficult to fall asleep due to his anxious thoughts keeping his mind active at night. He experimented with listening to recordings of birdsong, which reminded him of peaceful summer afternoons and helped transport him to a calmer state of mind. Research shows that different sounds can have varying effects on our stress levels, with birdsong often triggering relaxation responses in the body.

Scooter is not alone in his struggles with sleep. Many people struggle with insomnia and other sleep disorders, but there are ways to manage these conditions through science-backed practices. Emil Stobbe, a post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany, Jesper Alvarsson, a professor of Psychology at Södertörn University in Sweden, and Eleanor Ratcliffe, a professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey in the UK, all share their expertise on the effects of sounds on human behavior and well-being.

If you’re interested in similar episodes, you can check out “The Science of a Good Night’s Sleep” or “Why You Should Snap Pictures of Nature” for more insights on improving your well-being through different practices. Additionally, you can explore related Happiness Breaks like “Restore Through Silence” or “Feeling the Awe of Nature from Anywhere” to incorporate moments of relaxation and appreciation into your daily routine.

Feel free to share the sounds that relax you or record your own recordings to share with us! You can email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod to connect with our community. Don’t forget to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share the show with someone who might benefit from the content. Thank you for tuning in to The Science of Happiness!