Does listening to music through earphones overnight lessen the capacity of the human mind to learn?

If you consider the fact that deafness can make it more difficult to learn... yes. Earphones are the single most common cause for premature deafness... but then, think of how much you enjoy your tunes while you're sleeping. As long as the earphones are not screaming in your ears this is a good way for insomniacs to trick their mind into sleeping. Even a low TV sound will do the same thing. Spas (where you go to relax) will have soft, soothing music and does make the body and mind relax. Scientists have found that if a person puts on a learning tape (example: to learn another language) they will learn the language quicker than by taking classes and studying it.