3.5 out of 5 stars

Google search “Most Relaxing Song Ever” and several articles come up, all leading back to the same song, “Weightless” by Marconi Union. These were lofty claims, so I decided to try it out for a week every night before bed. The beginning of second semester is a very stressful time in many students’ lives, so quality sleep would help to cope with that.

Marconi Union wrote the song in partnership with the British Academy for Sound Therapy, specifically aiming for it to be a super soothing  piece of music.

It seems to have worked.

In a study conducted by Mindlab International, participants listening to “Weightless” were reported to experience a 65 percent decrease in anxiety levels as well as a 35 percent decrease in resting physiological rates.

I put the song to the test. Seven nights, I played it as settled into bed. Once, I actually fell asleep before the song was finished, but more typically I fell asleep a few minutes after the song finished.

The song itself was very soothing. It is slow and melodic and fairly quiet, unobtrusive in the background while trying to sleep. The ambient sound is disconcerting at first, but the listener acclimates quickly. I fell asleep quickly with the help of the song, and while it may have been in part because I was exhausted, the song definitely helped me to relax enough for sleep.

While the song does shave off a long time staring at the ceiling, it does not do much for actually being asleep. I woke up feeling just as exhausted as always, in spite of sleeping the whole night through. Overall, the song did not improve the quality of sleep, but it did make it a lot easier to fall asleep, which is half the battle.

I would definitely recommend the song for those who have trouble falling asleep at night, or just those who need a little help to relax. Watching the music video, however, is less conducive to sleep.