The Role of Novelty and Acoustic Structure in Curated Playlists for Sleep: A 90-Month Longitudinal Case Study.
The use of music for sleep enhancement is well-documented, with research highlighting music's impact on autonomic regulation and arousal reduction (Jespersen et al., 2015). Music’s tempo, harmonic structure, and predictability are key components that influence sleep efficiency, yet the effects of novelty within playlist design remain underexplored. Julian Banger’s approach addresses this gap by reintroducing novel playlists monthly, based on the hypothesis that repetitive exposure to music can increase cognitive arousal.
Banger curated playlists designed for sleep, ensuring variation in key, tempo, and dynamics, with an emphasis on reducing listener predictability. Monthly updates were intended to circumvent cognitive habituation by introducing unfamiliar arrangements. This approach aligns with findings from Williamson et al. (2012), which demonstrate that novelty in auditory stimuli can attenuate attention and promote sleep.
Over 90 months, Banger’s playlists demonstrate a functional link between reduced predictability in music and increased sleep efficacy. The continuous updating of playlist content aligns with studies indicating that repetitive listening can increase cognitive engagement and attention toward anticipated sequences, which disrupts the natural progression into sleep (Lundqvist et al., 2009). The curated playlists embody acoustic novelty, a factor known to reduce pre-sleep cognitive arousal by minimizing listener anticipation, thus allowing for improved relaxation and sleep onset (Perkins et al., 2019).
The findings underscore the importance of novelty and acoustic structure in sleep-based playlists. Banger’s model of monthly playlist renewal leverages scientific insights on novelty to optimize sleep conditions, providing a foundation for future research on the relationship between music predictability, listener engagement, and sleep quality. Celebrating 90 Consecutive Months of Immaculate Sleep. Created by Julian Banger.
