Given that commonly used public health web sites are writing about the benefits of BBFs, it is imperative to conduct more research not only for its efficacy but for public safety.
However, BBFs are often sold in only one frequency which may not allow the listener to transition through the phases of sleep.
Copyright binaural beats for sleep software#
Image courtesy of Patrick Alban, DC and Deane Alban.īinaural beat frequencies can be constructed using easily accessible audio equipment and software as evidence by the many audio files found on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and the Apple app store. Since brainwave frequencies fall into five major categories (e.g., gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta) with each producing five distinct levels of states of consciousness, one only has to adjust the sound frequencies to each ear to produce the state of consciousness he/she desires.Ĭoncept of Binaural beats. “The most widely accepted physiological explanation for this suggests that discharges of neurons that preserve phase information of the sound in each ear according to the volley principle converge on binaurally-activated neurons in the ascending auditory pathway that, in turn, generate brainwaves to fall in sync with the frequency”. This frequency then causes the brainwaves to fall in sync with the frequency in turn altering the listener's state of consciousness ( 10). This third frequency does not reflect a physical property of sound but is generated at the convergence of neural activity from the two ears in the central binaural auditory pathways of the brain ( 10). This phenomenon occurs when a frequency is played to one ear and a slightly different frequency is played to the other giving the perception of the presence of a third frequency (the difference between the two frequencies) ( 9) ( Figure 1). The concept of BBF was first discovered by German researcher Heinrich Wilhelm Dove in 1839 ( 9).
Another novel auditory stimulus that has been shown to improve sleep quality is the concept known as binaural beat frequencies (BBFs). Those who listened to music at 432 Hz showed a significant improvement in sleep scores (+3.6, p = 0.02) when compared to those listening to music at 440 Hz (−1.50, p = 0.34) ( 8). In a study published in 2020, 12 spinal injury patients were subjected to their favorite music tuned to 440 Hz or 432 Hz for 30 min each day for two periods ( 8). It is theorized that music played at 440 Hz, which is the current frequency used for tuning musical instruments, has a different psychological and/or physiologic effect than that same music played at 432 Hz ( 8). This process is done by slowing down (by 32 hundredths of a tone) the execution of a song originally tuned at 440 Hz, using music editing software ( 7). Another interesting auditory stimulus that has evolved over the last few years is the use of 432 Hz music which is widely used in the New Age genre. In a systematic review published in 2022, the results showed that of 34 studies, 19 studies reported positive effects on improving sleep quality with multi-audio having the lowest risk of bias (mean/standard deviation: 1.67/0.82) compared to white noise (2.38/0.69) and pink noise (2.36/0.81) ( 6). The use of auditory stimuli, such as white noise, pink noise, and music, has shown efficacy in improving sleep quality in a variety of populations and settings. The use of auditory stimuli to improve sleep However, with all of these strategies poor quality sleep still remains an issue. Over the years, studies have assessed a variety of evidence-based strategies to mitigate poor sleep quality such as good sleep hygiene, strategic napping, appropriately timed rest breaks, optimal lighting, and pharmacologic ( 5). Given these statistics, over half of adults believe that if they had better sleep, they would be more effective which would positively affect their quality of life ( 4).
According to the 2021 National Sleep Foundation statistics, between 10 and 30% of adults struggle with sleep with 35% reporting sleeping <7 h per night on average with half of all Americans stating that they feel sleepy during the day ~3–7 times a week ( 4). In the workplace, it reduces efficiency and productivity, underestimates performance capabilities, and increased errors which can cause accidents ( 3). When adequate sleep is not attained it can negatively affect vigilance, reaction time, learning ability, alertness, mood, hand-eye coordination, and memory ( 2). Due to the rising societal impact of sleep deficiencies and circadian dysfunctions, more research is needed on new strategies to improve sleep quality to support physiological function, behavioral health, and wellbeing throughout the lifespan ( 1). Sleep is essential as it has a multifaceted connection to health and chronic disease.
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