Setar for Sleep: How Persian Microtones Lull the Racing Mind into Deep Rest
The Night I Discovered Setar Sleep Magic
I was 28, touring Europe, sleeping three hours a night. One evening in Berlin, jet-lagged and wired, I picked up my setar in the hotel room. Dastgah-e Segah, slow as breath. Ten minutes in, I was out cold.
Years later, a 2016 Tehran study explained why: 10 minutes of relaxing instrumental music dropped cortisol 25% in stressed patients (p < 0.05).¹ My nightly ritual was science, not luck.
My Exact Bedtime Routine (You Can Copy Tonight)
Lights off, phone down
Setar on my lap – tuned to Segah (D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C)
Tempo: 60 BPM (I count my pulse)
Play:
Open 4th string → hold 6 seconds
Light quarter-pull on 3rd → release
Repeat, eyes closed
Result? I’m asleep before the final note fades.
The Science That Keeps Me Playing
25% less cortisol after 10 min (Tehran, 2016)¹
2.8-point better sleep quality (Cochrane, 2022)²
9.2 minutes faster to fall asleep with microtones (Iran, 2021)³
No pills. No white noise. Just four strings and silence.
Try It Tonight (No Setar? Use Your Voice)
Hum the open 4th string pitch. Same tempo. Same 6-second holds. Works on guitar, phone app, or just your breath.
Want to Learn My Full Ritual?
I teach this exact 10-minute sleep sequence in my online setar classes. Beginners welcome.
👉 Free trial lesson → amirschoolofmusic.com
Sleep well, Amir
References (exact): ¹ PMC 2016 – doi:10.5812/traumamon.31972 ² Cochrane 2022 – doi:10.1002/14651858.CD014804 ³ J Tradit Complement Med 2021 – doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2021.03.003