10 November 2013
Newsdesk
Almost half (48 per cent) of all Brits admit to needing eight hours of sleep to feel relaxed. Despite this, two thirds of the UK are regularly missing a quarter of their night’s sleep worrying about issues such as work (34 per cent) and finances (33 per cent). Whilst some people resort to watching TV/films (16 per cent), a new trend has emerged, with the rise of Brits relying on music to send them to sleep with one sixth (16 per cent) falling asleep to their favourite songs.
Today saw the opening of the UK’s first ‘Sleeping Gig’ – a 45 minute immersive performance designed to allow the audience to drift off into a gentle sleep by listening to a selection of the nation’s favourite songs performed by a 12-piece orchestra. Direct Line has teamed up with the Urban Soul Orchestra to create a bespoke playlist that is designed to relax and send the audience to sleep – so forget counting sheep.
The set list includes a classical take on songs by artists such as Coldplay and Groove Armada and the number one track to sleep to as voted for by the Direct Line Facebook audience – ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ by Gotye.
The ‘Sleeping Gigs’ bring classical music to a brand new audience, with guests relaxing in day beds and wearing eye masks to fully immerse themselves in the music. Stephen Hussey, creative director at the Urban Soul Orchestra commented that, “With people using computer generated chill out compilations to wind down, it’s clear to see the popularity in music that relaxes us. The Direct Line ‘Sleeping Gigs’ are bringing this to a whole new level by combining the traditional peaceful elements of orchestra with an event that actively encourages you to relax so much you fall asleep!”
As half of 18 -24 year olds admit to regularly indulging in 45-minute ‘power naps’ to recharge during the day, studies[1] have shown that listening to calming music for this amount of time can help to relax the body – and Direct Line have also teamed up with Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a UCL expert in human behaviour to act as the ‘Director of Achievement’ to create a formula for the perfect sleep soundtrack.
The ‘Director of Achievement’ commented, “Long and repetitive songs with no lyrics and fewer than 80 beats per minute provide the perfect combination for rest. With so many Brits admitting they find it difficult to fall asleep, a carefully created playlist of relaxing songs (or attending the ‘Sleeping Gigs’) helps the body prepare for sleep by lowering the blood pressure and bringing us into a much more relaxed mental state”.
Whilst we often blast music in the car to keep ourselves awake, listening to relaxed music is also clinically proven to enhance our sleep2. Research has shown that listening to music lowers the heartbeat and respiratory rate, which improves quality of sleep3. The musical notes and melodies which relax us can be traced back to our childhood, as babies react to music without forming opinions or associating songs with types of music, and studies have shown that Mozart can have a profound effect on young children4.
The ‘Sleeping Gigs’ are part of the ‘Moving Forwards’ series of events, which earlier this year featured the Direct Line ‘Cinigym’ - the UK’s first combined cinema and gym.
