Music program may help kids with back-to-school sleep schedule


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SALT LAKE CITY — Back-to-school bedtime finds the five Duncan kids bouncing off the walls.

"They're clinging to their summer schedule, staying up late," said Angela Duncan.

Her kids have become used to backyard barbecues, movies and relaxed bedtime, but they're about to hit a new reality.

"It's a struggle, especially with school. It's a really big struggle," she said.

So each night, the Duncans have been cueing up what the kids call their "sleep music." It is a streaming service by Utah company Genote that offers music clinically tested to help kids sleep.

Genote CEO Massimiliano Frani has created a team of musicians, physicians and scientists to harness the clinical power of music.

"There are specific characteristics, such as repetition and melodic value," said Frani. "Genote has studied the relationships of the underlying elements of music."

While playing a composition by Bach, Frani identifies the 3/4 tempo as one proven to enhance relaxation. He also explains, since it's written in a minor key, it induces a sense of peace.

"The parents can use it to establish a new routine, so the music becomes a behavioral trigger to help them understand they can relax and go to sleep," adds Edoardo Guerra, chief scientific officer of Genote.

Back at the Duncan house, they're less impressed with the science behind the music than with the fact that it is working.

They turn on the music while kids put on their pajamas, brush their teeth and climb into bed.

"It really helps to calm them," said Duncan.

And while the music doesn't eliminate the process of settling down five bundles of energy, 8-year-old Talia notices a difference.

"It kind of helps your brain relax and helps drain your thoughts out," she said. Deanie Wimmer anchors the KSL News and helps lead the Read Today program. contact her at deanie.wimmer@ksl.com

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