I have
had trouble sleeping lately. I say lately, but I really mean my whole life. You
can ask my parents! have tried EVERYTHING to help me sleep and stay asleep. I
have tried it all, from prescribed medications to over the counter medications
to home remedies. It all works at first, but then my body
becomes accustomed to it, then my body requires more and more
amounts, which is not something that I can do a lot. I don't mind taking the
medications, but I mind taking a lot of different ones, or a lot of the same
one to get the same effects of just one. Plus, that is stuff that doesn't
naturally belong in the body and it can affect you in the long way. What I am
trying to say, is that I have always been trying to find a solution that works
that wouldn't involve taking medications. I never really could find the
solution. That all began to change when I started taking Psychology of Mind and
Body. When I first signed up, I only did so to fulfill psychology degree
requirements, but I believe deep down, unconsciously I chose this
class, because it would lead me to the answer I have been looking for for a
long time. And it has. What has started out as a class project/assignment, has
ended up being the closest thing to a solution as I have ever come to. Are you
ready for this? Binaural beats! You are probably thinking what? But I am
thinking YES!
So, what are binaural beats?
According to Dictionary.com, the first definition for 'binaural' is having two
ears, and of sound, means that 'recorded through two separate microphones
and transmitted through two separate channels to produce a
stereophonic effect.' The best way to hear this stereophonic effect is through
the use of headphones. To further explain this, "a binaural beat frequency
is an audio phenomenon that occurs in the brain when two slightly different
sine waves are delivers to each ear through headphones." (Gelb &
Howell, 2012). Sine waves are "a continuous wave
with a constant frequency and amplitude." (Gelb & Howell, 2012).
This best way to fully understand is this, "the
two hemispheres of the brain function together to "hear"
not the external sound signals but instead a third "phantom"
beat." (Gelb & Howell, 2012).
What are binaural beats used for?
Peter Grainger of Positive Health magazine outlines it for us in the following:
·
Gamma: 22-30Hz
(hertz)
o
Attention or sensory
stimulation, perception, or consciousness
·
Beta: 12-22Hz
o
Associated with high
state of wakefulness, high state of arousal and some drug effects
·
Alpha: 8-12Hz
o
Allows brain to
enter energy conservation mode
o
Immediate detail of
the outer world becomes less and less significant
o
Important function as
connection between conscious and subconscious
o
Allows for recollection
of dreams, the remembrance of events in meditation, the recall of a creative
synthesis of a solution of a daily problem, and the creation of healing images
to assist the body to repair and recover from injury
o
High levels of
success in sports and performing arts
·
Theta: 4-8Hz
o
Full memory
search/verbal performance, scanning for pleasure, quiet focus/extroversion/low
anxiety, low neuroticism
o
Closely related to
sleep function and to the necessary restoration g he body
o
Actively repairing
damage done while awake
o
Essential to immune
system and other systems concerned with growth and duplication
o
Autonomic nervous
system is restored and rebalanced
·
Delta: 0.5-4Hz
o
Brain is scanning for
internal associations, altering internal and external consciousness
o
Essential to daily
function of the body and to regulate all aspect of physiology
o
High amplitude related
to the ability to empathize with other human beings
For this project, I
am interested in delta and theta waves the most. So how does one go about
accessing binaural beats? Internet mostly, or sleep machine apps. I wasn't sure
myself really on where to start. I started researching and I ended up at this
link: http://www.ellecanada.com/living/night-owl-how-to-get-your-beauty-sleep/a/35181/2
It’s here that the author, Alannah O’Neill,
mentions different ways to try. The three options are binaural beats, mind
control, yoga nidra. Since I was already interested in the binaural beats, that
is the direction I chose. I have an iPhone, so I set out to get the app she had
said that she downloaded, but it was $2.99. Personally, I don't like to buy
apps unless I try them out because most of the time, I wouldn't get a refund.
However, iTunes gave me suggestions that were close to it and were free. This
is when I found the app, Relax Melodies. This free app had about 18 sounds and
then the binaural beats at the alpha and theta level. After testing it for
several days, I bought the full app which included the six binaural beats and
over 90 sounds.
The description for each level is as follows
from the app itself:
·
Concentration
o
Beta: 20Hz
§ The Beta wave can be used for active
concentration. If you are awake and have a difficult problem to solve or need
to stay focused, this could be the solution.
·
Relaxation
o
Mid
Alpha: 10Hz
§ The Mid Alpha wave helps you to start relaxing
when you are in an active state. You can still stay awake, but you will feel
your mind becoming more relaxed.
·
Pre-Sleep
o
Low
Alpha: 8Hz
§ The Low Alpha wave reproduces the pre-sleep
and the pre-wake frequency of your brain. This sound prepares you to enter
slowly or get out of smoothly of your sleep.
·
Deep Meditation
o
Mid
Theta: 5Hz
§ The Mid Theta wave enables you to go into
deep state of mediation. It will facilitate the transition between sleep and
wakefulness.
·
Dreams
o
Low
Theta: 4Hz
§ The Low Theta guides your brain to the dream
stage. You will be able to reach more easily this important stage of sleep.
·
Dreamless
Sleep
o
Delta:
2.5Hz
§ The Delta is the lowest frequency of the binaural
sounds. This sound makes you enter more easily in the deepest and most important
portion of your sleep cycle
These next several entries will cover my personal experiences of using this app and how having
done this, how it affects all other aspects of my life, waking and sleeping.
Citations
Gelb, M. J., & Howell, K. (2012, Mar/April). Synchronize Your Brain. Share Guide, pp. 18-19.
Grainger, P. (2009, December). Brain Waves and
Altered States of Consciousness. Positive Health, pp. 1-1.
O'Neill, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from Elle Canda:
http://www.ellecanada.com/living/night-owl-how-to-get-your-beauty-sleep/a/35181/2
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