Solfeggio frequencies, or specific tones of sound believed to have powerful effects on our mood and well-being, are having a moment.
Short reels playing the tones are all over Instagram, and if you scroll through TikTok, you’re bound to encounter a video set to the so-called “healing vibrations.” You can find them all over YouTube, on wellness apps, and even in sound healing events at your local yoga studio or spa.
Jenna Marcovitz, a board-certified music therapist and the director of music therapy in the department of integrative medicine at UCLA Health, suspects solfeggio frequencies have become so popular because people are busier and ever and “are craving ways to feel calm and grounded in a world that feels overstimulating and loud.”
But do the low vibrations actually relieve anxiety and stress — or are they all hype? HuffPost asked sleep and music psychology experts for their two cents. Here’s what they said.
What are solfeggio frequencies — and why did they get so hot?
Solfeggio frequencies are tones ― such as 396 Hz, 417 Hz and 528 Hz ― that are believed to promote relaxation, stress relief and sleep. While the term “solfeggio frequency” is relatively modern, soothing tones have been used for healing purposes for centuries.
Marcovitz noted that Indigenous people have long used drums, flutes and chanting to support emotional regulation and spiritual connection; West African cultures use polyrhythmic drumming, and Tibetan Buddhist monks chant and use singing bowls.
As for why so many people are suddenly very interested in solfeggio frequencies? “I think the popularity is partly this modern rediscovery, paired with the accessibility of streaming apps and YouTube playlists promoting these frequencies and a longing to connect to something that feels real, ancestral and wise,” Marcovitz said.
Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images
The research on solfeggio frequencies is limited but promising.
So, are solfeggio frequencies legit?
The scientific research on solfeggio frequencies is fairly limited, but a few studies have found that the frequencies do, in fact, promote sleep and relaxation.
A report published in 2019, for example, found that 432 Hz music (take a listen here) may increase alpha waves in the brain, a type of brainwave associated with relaxation, and have a significant calming effect. Another small study from 2019 found that 432 Hz music was associated with a decrease in blood pressure values, heart rate and respiratory rate values.
A 2018 study found that people’s cortisol levels decreased and oxytocin levels increased after listening to 528 Hz music (listen here) for as little as five minutes. According to the researchers, those findings suggest that 528 Hz tunes may have a strong stress-reducing effect.
As a result, some scientists believe the vibrations change brainwave activity and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the body’s natural “rest and relax” mode, explained Shveata Mishra, a music psychologist.
But much of the support for solfeggio frequencies is anecdotal, she points out. While the scientific evidence on solfeggio frequencies is thin, there’s plenty of data supporting the use of calming and meditative music as a sleep aid, she added.
Evidence consistently shows that slow-tempo music (think: classical, ambient, or soft jazz) can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, decrease heart and respiratory rate and have a positive effect on sleep by relaxing your muscles and distracting you from racing thoughts. And any relaxation technique — music included — that lowers stress and provides a sense of serenity can help you fall asleep, said Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist with Stanford Medicine.
Here’s how to find the right tune to help you doze off.
Even though the “solfeggio frequency” sleep claims haven’t been substantiated by scientific studies (yet), that doesn’t mean listening to them before bedtime is a waste, according to Marcovitz. “If it is working for you and helping you to feel calm, then mission accomplished,” she said.
While you’re looking for a nighttime playlist, keep this in mind: The music that will help you drift off is the type you find most enjoyable and relaxing, research shows. Music and sound are deeply perceptual experiences, which is why the impact is highly personal, according to Mishra. “What profoundly calms or heals one person might not affect another in the same way, and for some, it could even have the opposite effect,” she said.
In general, Marcovitz recommended choosing songs that have a slow tempo, predictable rhythm and soft dynamics. “Solfeggio playlists can work if you like them, but so can classical adagios, ambient soundscapes, or gentle acoustic tracks,” she said.
As for how long you should listen to the music? Even 10 to 20 minutes can send a cue to your body that it’s time to rest. A tip from Marcovitz: Set a sleep timer so the music fades out as you drift off.
Many people find that, over time, music helps them sleep because they associate the sounds with rest. But others, such as those who struggle with a sleep disorder, may only temporarily find them helpful. Pelayo said this is because sleep disorders like insomnia are sensitive to placebo effects, but eventually, the effect will wane because the root cause of the sleep issues hasn’t been addressed.
20 Years OfFreeJournalism
Your SupportFuelsOur Mission
Your SupportFuelsOur Mission
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
If that’s the case, consider reaching out to a board-certified sleep medicine physician or a behavioral sleep medicine specialist. They can evaluate your symptoms, run diagnostic testing and recommend effective treatments. There may be a place for solfeggio frequencies in your bedtime routine, but if you suspect you have a sleep disorder, a professional can teach you how to fall — and, better yet, stay — asleep.
