Music therapy improves sleep quality in acute and chronic sleep disorders: A meta-analysis of 10 randomized studies

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of music therapy for acute and chronic sleep disorders in adults.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesA systematic search of publications in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library without language restriction was performed.Review methodsStudies with randomized controlled design and adult participants were included if music was applied in a passive way to improve sleep quality. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the sources of heterogeneity.ResultsTen studies involving 557 participants were identified. The sleep quality was improved significantly by music (standard mean difference: −0.63; 95% CI: −0.92 to −0.34; p < 0.001), with significant heterogeneity across studies. Subgroup analysis found heterogeneity between subgroups with objective or subjective assessing methods of sleep quality, and between subgroups with difference follow-up durations. No evidence of publication bias was observed.ConclusionMusic can assist in improving sleep quality of patients with acute and chronic sleep disorders. For chronic sleep disorders, music showed a cumulative dose effect and a follow-up duration more than three weeks is necessary for assessing its efficacy.