The Soundtrack for Better Rest
At DUXIANA, improving sleep has always been our number one priority. We continuously study what the human body needs for quality rest, which is why we recently turned our attention to the ways that sound can enhance the sleep experience. The result of this research is two new musical playlists, scientifically customized to help sleepers drift off more easily—and wake up feeling more refreshed.
The first playlist, entitled "Sleep Sounds," consists of nine songs carefully developed to help listeners fall asleep. The companion playlist, "Wake Up Sounds," offers seven tracks to gently rouse sleepers in the morning.
“We produced these playlists to support healthier sleep for our customers,” says Henrik Ljung, CEO, DUX & DUXIANA. “The playlists are already available for streaming on all major platforms, and we hope that they contribute to the comfortable experience of sleeping in a DUX bed. But, of course, anyone can listen to them!
The right tempo for the right time of day
The starting point for the project was research into the ways that people react to different rates of beats per minute (BPM) in music. We explored how adjusting the BPM of a song can help someone wind down at the end of the day or, conversely, energize them at the start of the day.
“When we thought about how to create this music, our team researched how BPM impacts heart rates and how this is then linked to relaxation,” explains Ljung. “They found that music with between 60 and 80 beats per minute has been shown to be the best tempo to sync to our hearts and slow us into a state of relaxation.”
With this data in mind, the first song on "Sleep Sounds" starts at 80 BPM. The track list then gradually slows until it finishes at around 60 BPM, with the hope that the listener is in a state of relaxation and ready for sleep—if they have not already nodded off. "Wake Up Sounds" follows the same idea, starting at 80 BPM and then gradually increasing to a more invigorating BPM of 140.
“Another aspect that we looked at was the way in which chord progressions reflect human emotion,” Ljung adds. “Many people know that a minor chord could be perceived as sad, and a major chord can sound happy. But we went much deeper than this, looking at how the music can create a sense of resolve and a feeling of safety by using certain chord changes and progressions.”
Continued insights into the science of sleep
While the new playlists are DUXIANA’s first foray into the music business, they represent a continuation of our longstanding commitment to better understanding of how sensory science can lead to improved rest and wellbeing. The same commitment has been a driving force behind sleep studies used in the development of the legendary DUX bed range.
“If there’s one thing that everyone at DUXIANA takes seriously, it’s sleep,” says Ljung. “We measure and investigate every aspect of human sleep. Our beds are the result of nearly a century of research and development into sleep science, and we will continue to find new ways to make the comfortable experience of sleep in a DUX bed even better.”
