{"id":28321,"date":"2019-09-23T07:00:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T07:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/restonic.com\/sin-categorizar\/music-sleep-better-biltmore"},"modified":"2019-09-23T07:00:50","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T07:00:50","slug":"music-sleep-better-biltmore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restonic.com\/es\/blog-es\/music-sleep-better-biltmore","title":{"rendered":"Can Listening to Music Help You Sleep Better?"},"content":{"rendered":"

George & Edith Vanderbilt filled their home with music \u2013 and it might be the key to modern-day sleep challenges!<\/h2>\n

\"GeorgeDuring the lifetimes of George and Edith Vanderbilt, music often drifted through the hallways of the largest home in America. While it served as entertainment for the Vanderbilt family and their guests, it may have unknowingly also improved their sleep.<\/p>\n

George Vanderbilt conceived of and created the iconic Biltmore<\/a> in the late 1800s in Asheville, North Carolina. During the building of the home \u2013 and throughout his life \u2013 he filled it with a bounty of priceless treasures from his travels around the world. But as beautiful as tapestries, leather-bound books and priceless objects of art and paintings are, Biltmore would have felt cold and unfeeling without music enhancing its passageways.<\/p>\n

Instead, piano playing, singing, and even orchestras, kept Biltmore\u2019s atmosphere animated and charming during the day and into the evenings.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic has been used as a healing therapy\u00a0for most of\u00a0human history,\u201d says Dr. Breus, The Sleep Doctor<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cAncient Arabic cultures had musicians working alongside physicians. The\u00a0Greeks used music to treat mental illness. After WWII, musicians were brought to US hospitals to aid the healing of soldiers\u2019 physical and emotional trauma. And modern scientific research has measured several benefits of music as a therapeutic tool for emotional health.\u201d<\/p>\n

The beginning notes of a lifelong love of music for George Vanderbilt<\/h2>\n

George Vanderbilt, like many young men in the 19th<\/sup> century, took dancing lessons as a child. While it appears he enjoyed dancing, his love of music is evident in a journal entry from his 13th<\/sup> year. \u201cI went to dancing school today and they had a German [dance]. Although I did not dance, I enjoyed it just as much!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BiltmoreAt 22 years old, George made a donation of $500 to his home parish in New York specifically earmarked for purchasing music. George adored concerts and showcased his love for them through a personal scrapbook. He filled it with copies of musical programs from every concert he attended from 1892 to 1897. In 1901, the Asheville Citizen remarked of George Vanderbilt, \u201cMr. George Vanderbilt is the musical member of his family\u2026\u201d This seems to have been true of George throughout his lifetime.<\/p>\n

During the design of Biltmore, he urged architect Richard Morris Hunt to create special spaces for music, though many never came to fruition during his lifetime. There\u2019s a Music Room on the first floor of the home, which secretly served as the depository of works of art from the National Gallery of Art to protect them during World War II. It was finally completed in the 1970s. There\u2019s also an organ loft in the Banquet Hall, although it didn\u2019t contain an organ until 1995. Oral histories detail a piano being played from the organ loft during the time the Vanderbilts lived there.<\/p>\n

\"GeorgeAmong George and Edith\u2019s personal friends were musicians who showcased their talents during their visits to Biltmore. Cortlandt Palmer visited Biltmore in January 1894 (this is before Biltmore formally opened on Christmas Eve in 1895). George\u2019s cousin, and close friend, Clarence Barker had notable music talent and spent time at Biltmore House.<\/p>\n

George and Edith also combined music and philanthropy as they hosted concerts to benefit various organizations. One of those took place on April 28, 1905, when the Pittsburgh Orchestra performed at Biltmore to benefit the hospital in Biltmore Village. The Orchestra performed works such as Wagner\u2019s Flying Dutchman and Prelude: Mesitersinger, Beethoven\u2019s Fifth Symphony in C Minor, Gounod\u2019s March of the Marionettes, Schumann\u2019s Troumerie, and Schubert\u2019s Still wie die Nacht and The Eric King. Mme. Gadski was the featured soloist.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not surprising that George\u2019s interest in music was a common chord in his life, until his sudden and unexpected death in March of 1914. In January of that year, George rented a piano for two months to place in his and Edith\u2019s home on 1612 K Street in Washington, D.C., so as not to be without music during their visits.<\/p>\n

Fostering a legacy from their love of music\"listen<\/h2>\n

Along with filling their home with music, the Vanderbilts took an active role in fostering musical talent. They were introduced to Elizabeth Mayo Dodge in 1898 when she sang at the Grand Opera House in Asheville. The next night, December 8, she performed at Biltmore, accompanied by the Morgan String Quartet of New York. Edith Vanderbilt fell in love with Dodge\u2019s voice and took the young woman under her wing. She sent her to Europe and paid for her to study voice and perform for seven years. In the same fashion in 1901, Edith wrote to local music teachers asking for a recommendation of a flute instructor. She had met two musically gifted students interested in joining the orchestra, and she paved the way for them to have expert instruction.<\/p>\n

Musical performances of all sorts have taken place throughout Biltmore history. Orchestra music was regularly a part of the Christmas celebration at Biltmore. In the early years, the orchestra at the Asheville School for Music and Dramatic Art performed. That tradition continues today, especially in the holiday months, when a variety of choirs and musical groups are invited to play in the winter garden at different intervals. And it\u2019s no surprise that during one of Biltmore\u2019s biggest bashes for Cornelia Vanderbilt\u2019s (George and Edith\u2019s only child) 22nd<\/sup> birthday party, music filled the air performed by The Garber Davis Orchestra.<\/p>\n

Listening to music \u2013 especially slow music \u2013 can lead to better sleep<\/h2>\n

According to the Better Sleep Council, classical music (along with New Age, Native American, or Celtic songs) with rhythms of \u00a0approx. 60 \u2013 80 beats per minute, can effectively slow your heart rate and breathing, lower blood pressure and induce muscle relaxation<\/a>. Studies show that older adults who listen to 45 minutes of relaxing music before going to bed fall asleep faster, sleep longer and wake up less during the night. Another study shows that listening to music before bed can help prevent insomnia, which is defined as the inability to sleep without interruption.<\/p>\n

Calming music<\/a> is equally effective for students. In one study, researchers divided 94 students (between the ages of 19 and 28) into three groups. All of the participants were dealing with sleep complaints including fatigue from lack of sleep, depression and problems in daytime functioning. The first group listened to 45 minutes of classical music before bed. The second group listened to 45 minutes of an audiobook. The third group didn\u2019t listen to anything. What they found is that depressive symptoms decreased significantly among those who listened to music but not those listening to audiobooks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key is choosing the right music for the time of day or night for the desired effects,\u201d says Dr. Breus. \u201cIf you\u2019re listening to music that relaxes you before bed, you\u2019re essentially helping to \u2018tune\u2019 your body to sleep mode, both physically and psychologically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shop<\/a><\/p>\n

6 songs to add to your nightly playlist for better sleep<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re struggling to get the sleep you need<\/a> to stay healthy, consider listening to music as a lifestyle choice. Some studies indicate that it may take up to three weeks of listening to music for 45 minutes before bed to see noticeable improvement. Sleep researchers say slow tunes are best for helping relax the mind and body for a healthy night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recommend to my patients they opt for music without words, at bedtime,\u201d says Dr. Breus. \u201cYour mind can\u2019t help but follow along, and lyrics can be mentally stimulating. You want to give those cognitive centers of your brain a rest, not light them up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some song suggestions for your nightly playlist, as suggested by The Better Sleep Council:<\/strong><\/p>\n