Objective To investigate the effect of positive music stimulation combined with cognitive intervention on ICU patients with severe pneumonia. Methods A total of 80 patients with severe pneumonia admitted from May 2017 to May 2018 were selected as study subjects, and randomly divided into study group and control group with 40 cases each.The control group received routine nursing intervention, while the study group received positive music stimulation combined with cognitive intervention.The differences in sleep index, emotional state and self-perceived burden between the two groups before and after the intervention were compared. Results After intervention, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) of the study group was lower than that of the control group before intervention, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). After intervention, the score of the self-perceived burden scale between the study group and the control group was lower than that before intervention, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). After intervention, the score of anxiety self-rating scale (SAS) and depression self-rating scale (SDS) in the study group was lower than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusions Positive music stimulation combined with cognitive intervention can significantly improve the sleep quality of ICU patients with severe pneumonia, at the same time, it is beneficial to alleviate patients' negative emotions and reduce the burden of self-perception. Key words: Severe pneumonia; Positive music stimulation; Cognitive intervention; Sleep index; Self-perceived burden