Do you ever wake up late at night and spend endless hours analyzing the bits of peeling drywall that hang from your bedroom ceiling? Do you rarely fall asleep at all? The word insomnia is probably very familiar to you. Luckily, there is hope for you and the other 40% of the population who suffer from this disorder.
Sleep scientists, under the direction of Dr. Leonid Kayumov at the sleep clinic of the University of Toronto’s department of Psychiatry and the Toronto Western Hospital, have been performing research related to the impact of “brain music” on sleep patterns.
Using specially designed computer software, the brain waves of individuals suffering from insomnia are measured and converted from electrical oscillations into audible sound. Because the resulting music is lower in frequency than most other brain waves, it induces a relaxed, meditative condition for sleep.
Ten long-term insomniacs listened to the audio recordings of their brain waves for weeks before bedtime and during the night when they could not fall asleep. The results? The experimental group improved by 75 to 85 percent, and participants reported that they were able to fall asleep more quickly and soundly. The control group, who listened to regular music, showed substantially less improvement.
One of the most attractive aspects of this type of sleep therapy is that it is non-addictive, and in contrast to existing pharmacological treatments, has no serious side effects.
Although scientists believe this research will be useful in treating conditions like bedwetting, its most direct application will be in the clinical treatment of insomniacs. Those with trouble sleeping may soon be able to obtain personalized brain music on a CD, helping them fall asleep to the sweet symphony of their own brain.
