Patterns of pre-sleep music use and sleep quality: exploratory survey findings on state anxiety

Music listening is a widely used self-help approach that may influence psychological and physiological processes associated with sleep. This cross-sectional study explored patterns of pre-sleep music use in relation to psychological distress (state anxiety, mood disturbance, stress) and subjective sleep quality. Adults (N = 269, 52.6% female; Mage = 27.7, SD = 9.0) completed validated self-report measures of sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) and psychological distress. Pre-sleep music use was modestly associated with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.23, p < 0.01). A borderline interaction between state anxiety and music use (β = −0.170, p = 0.050) suggested, but did not confirm, a possible buffering pattern in which the anxiety-sleep association appeared weaker among more frequent music users. No moderation effects were observed for mood or stress. These preliminary findings suggest that pre-sleep music use may reflect a coping-oriented effort among individuals experiencing anxiety. However, given the cross-sectional design, self-report measures, and borderline statistical support, the results should be viewed as descriptive and hypothesis-generating.