Whether you’re familiar with Vivaldi and friends or you only hear classical music when you’re in the waiting room; some more Mozart in your life wouldn’t hurt. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.

Research shows that classical music can work wonders for the brain. This is what happens in your head when you hear classical tunes.

Brainpower

1. It makes you more emotional

We all know what a good soundtrack does to a movie. It makes everything feel more dramatic. The same counts for real life. The Southern Methodist University observed volunteers while they wrote about the most significant event or experience in their lives. They found that participants who had classical music in the background while writing became more emotionally vulnerable and more willing to disclose information than those who didn’t. Can someone pass us the tissues?

2. It helps you sleep

Counting sheep for hours? Next time you’re wide awake, crack up some classical music. The best music to improve your sleep quality has a regular rhythm, low pitches and tranquil melodies.

3. It eases pain

Research from 2006 shows that classical music can ease physical pain among surgical and cancer patients. Groups with chronic pain who listened to the music reported feeling less pain and more power over their depression and disability than those who didn’t. Researchers suggest that music empowers patients recovering from surgery and even encourage nurses to use it as a rehabilitation tool.

Ramp up that IQ

4. It makes you smarter

Believe it or not: listening to Beethovens sonata for a good 10 minutes ramps up IQ scores with nearly 10 points. Researchers explained that classical music is believed to enhance the brain’s spatial-temporal reasoning or the cognitive understanding of how items or pieces can fit into a space. We must address this piece of research is quite controversial. Some people are skeptical about these findings,  but still: listening to some baroque during your daily commute wouldn’t hurt. 

5. It improves your memory

Big test or presentation coming up? Let Beethoven be your companion. In a study published in Learning and Individual Differences, one group of students listened to a one-hour lecture where classical music was played in the background, and the other group heard the lecture with no music. Those in the first group scored significantly higher on a quiz than the second group. Researchers believe that the music made students more receptive to the information, allowing them to store and recall it more efficiently.  6. It relieves anxiety

You think classical music works on your nerves? Think again. The music reduces stress by lowering the cortisol levels in your body. One study let pregnant women listen to classical music for a week and concluded that it relieved their stress and anxiety. The same goes for hospital patients. When they listened to classical music before surgery, they were way less nervous than those who didn’t. 

Pretty cool right, how classical music works on the brain. So, crank up those tunes. However, be sure not to turn the volume all the way up. Because that ain’t good for your hearing!