Is playing music with someone else as good as a hug for stress relief? A bit of science on this rainy Monday.

Tweet

As many of us know, getting a hug from someone is a great stress reliever. To be a bit scientific about it, when you hug someone, the hormone oxytocin in released in both parties. Oxytocin is known to some as "the cuddle hormone." Its release leads to a feeling of attachment with whomever you hug, and an overall feeling of well-being. Oxytocin is a cortisol antagonist. Cortisol is one of the most well-known stress hormones. Elevated levels of (especially evening) cortisol can lead to anxiety, sleep disturbance, etc. When you kiss or (especially) make love with someone, oxytocin levels spike. A little romance before bed is the best sleeping pill. I have spoken a few times with Dan Levitin, the neurologist who wrote the book, "This is Your Brain on Music." Dan is a mutual friend of Stevie Coyle, who was front man of The Waybacks (a music group) for several years. I asked Dan if there was evidence that playing music with others led to increases in oxytocin levels, and a reduction in anxiety hormones, like cortisol. He told me that this question is currently being researched, and that the answer appears to be yes. Dan is the same fella who told me that there is little (not enough) grant money for researching whether Autistic individuals are uniquely equipped to learn music, and whether learning music can lead to cognitive, social, and emotional benefits in Autistic children. My work with Autistic kids leads me to believe that the answer to both questions is "yes." Especially if you introduce them to music early. I'll leave it at that. I have two chapters about my work with Autistic kids in the book I am writing. Heh. "You can read it all in my new book." I'll attach a song by Iowa folk musician, Greg Brown. I think of it every time I mention the book I'm writing. I think it's called "My New Book." Do you enjoy a good hug? Had you heard of oxytocin before?