Effect of Indian classical music on quality of sleep in depressed patients: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Music has been shown to be effective in a number of psychiatric conditions, including improving the quality of sleep. A pilot study was carried out to study the effect of Indian classical music on the quality of sleep in individuals with depression. Fifty individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder on DSM-IV were consecutively allocated into two groups. One group received music with selected raagas, while the other group was treated with hypnotic medications for a month. The changes in depressive symptoms and sleep quality were measured on MADRS and PSQI. Both PSQI and MADRS scores improved with music. Improvement in scores with music was comparable to hypnotic medications and persisted beyond the treatment period. We conclude that music is comparable to hypnotic medication in improving quality of sleep in depressed patients and can thus act as a useful adjunct in the management of depression.

Keywords:

• Indian classical music
• sleep
• depression