The way people respond to sound varies widely during sleep and wakeful hours. Like smell and sight, sound can trigger a positive or negative response depending on its tone, character, and loudness. Your emotional state can also affect how your brain processes sound.
According to a 2017 study published in Scientific Reports, sounds associated with the forest and the wilderness have been found to induce sleep. This guide explores everything you need to know about cricket sounds for sleep and why they can help you get the deep, restorative sleep you desire.
Why Are Cricket Sounds So Sleep-Inducing?
From the melodic trill of a mockingbird to the rhythmic chirping of crickets in the woods – nature’s sounds have the uncanny ability to calm you down and put you into a state of complete relaxation.
Researchers have found that these sounds alter the neural connections in the brain to disarm the body’s fight-or-flight response, which is usually triggered when you are under extreme stress.
This stress response occurs when the nervous system goes into hyper-drive in preparation to fight or flee what it perceives to be a life-threatening situation. The brain releases adrenaline, cortisol, and noradrenaline – stress hormones that can make it difficult (if not impossible) to get a good night’s sleep.
Cricket sounds and other sounds in nature have the opposite effect on the nervous system. They calm the body and induce a sense of security and serenity, which helps you relax and fall asleep. These sounds decrease the brain’s fight-or-flight response to non-threatening stimuli and increase its rest-and-digest reaction.
Benefits of Cricket Sounds for Sleep
If you’re looking to get some much-needed rest to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated the next day, here are a few reasons why cricket sounds for sleep can help you catch those Zs.
They Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Researchers have found that crickets and other natural sounds result in the brain’s outward-focused attention as opposed to being inward-focused. Stress, depression, and anxiety are all associated with inward-focused attention and are detrimental to getting a good night’s rest.
On the other hand, outward-focused attention triggers the nervous system’s rest-and-digest response, allowing the body to move toward a more relaxed state conducive to sleep.
They Mask Unwanted Environmental Noise
As great as it might be to live in a cottage tucked away in a remote part of the woods, far from the sights and sounds of the city, most people don’t have that luxury.
Whether it’s the incessant noise from nearby traffic, the blaring music from your next-door neighbor, or people walking around in the apartment above you – these noises are bound to keep you up at night.
Listening to cricket sounds for sleep can help drown out these external noises, allowing you to fall asleep fast and stay asleep for longer to get the deep restorative slumber you need and wake up feeling refreshed and energized for the day.
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They Have Zero Negative Effects
Falling asleep to the sound of crickets chirping away in your sound machine is a safe way to improve the quality of sleep you’re getting. Nature sounds have no side effects on your brain or body, so you don’t have to worry about short- or long-term repercussions on your health and well-being.
Additionally, cricket sounds for sleep are not addictive. Unlike sleeping pills, nature sounds won’t make you dependent on them in the long run.
While they will help improve the quality and quantity of sleep you’re getting, you won’t go through withdrawal symptoms if you don’t listen to them. The same cannot be said for conventional and non-conventional pharmaceutical remedies.
They Help You Relax
When you close your eyes and listen to cricket sounds, you’re immediately transported to the woods or the wilderness. It feels like you’re falling asleep in the middle of the forest.
These sounds have a soothing effect on the brain, allowing you to transition into a state of deep relaxation. If you’re having difficulty quieting your mind after a long, stressful day, listening to the sound of crickets chirping or other forest sounds can help clear your head long enough to fall asleep.
The repetitive nature of cricket sounds can also put you into a trance-like state, slowly lulling you to sleep so you can stay asleep through the night.
Find the Best Cricket Sounds for Sleep
Nighttime sounds can either be disruptive or constructive to the quality of sleep you’re getting. Cricket sounds are extremely potent for putting you into a state of deep relaxation and inducing sleep. They can quiet your racing mind, relieve stress, and soothe anxiety to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Bring the relaxing sounds of the forest and wilderness into your bedroom tonight and get the deep, restorative sleep you crave. Download Spotify and check out our list for inspiration.
