Sleep Music: A Jewel “Lullaby” & Relaxation CDs

The new 15-track CD “Lullaby” from three-time Grammy nominee Jewel is an acoustic ode to sleep.

Released in May, the self-produced release features 10 original songs such as “Sweet Dreams.” The other songs are classic lullabies such as “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Brahms’ Lullaby.”

“This isn’t just a ‘kids’ album, it’s really a mood album – perfect to relax to at the end of a long day,” Jewel said in a prepared statement. “It will soothe and lull children, but was also written and sung for adults to enjoy and unwind with.”

Currently the CD is the top-selling compilation of lullabies on Amazon.com.

But it’s not just parents who are hoping that music can promote a good night of sleep. Two of the top five recordings on Amazon’s best-selling “Self-Help” list also are sleep related.

At #2 is “Delta Sleep System” by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson. Released in 1999, it seeks to promote the delta waves that increase during deep, slow-wave sleep. It combines music, nature sounds and embedded “pulses” of sound.

At #5 is “Sleep Soundly” by Steven Halpern. Released in 1994, it is a collection of New Age music from the 1980s. The songs combine piano-based “sonic textures” with “subliminal, sleep-encouraging affirmations.”

In May the Sleep Education Blog reported that there is some research to support using music to sleep better. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is even studying the use of “brain music.” The goal is to help emergency responders sleep well when they end a stressful shift.

Relaxation training is one method of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Learn more about CBT on SleepEducation.com.

Image courtesy of Fisher-Price