Looking to get a better night’s sleep, but no tips seem to be working? Time to try binaural beats for sleep. For years we’ve heard of the benefits of listening to calming music or using white noise to help you sleep. Now, it’s time to level up those benefits with a new kind of sound created by your brain. Keep reading to learn more about the science and benefits behind binaural beats and how you can use them to improve your sleep.

What are binaural beats?

No, they’re not a new type of headphones you’ll have to spend hundreds on. It’s an auditory phenomenon that can be used to improve your quality of sleep.

According to the Sleep Foundation, “binaural beats are a perception of sound created by your brain.” Binaural beats may sound a lot like other calming music you would find. However, when you’re listening to binaural beats, each ear is listening to a different frequency level. As a result of these two different tones, your brain creates an additional low-frequency tone (called the binaural beat). Your brain activity can then sync up with the frequency of the beat it’s created, resulting in different states of behavior (i.e., feeling calmer).

If that sounds like something straight out of a science fiction movie, don’t worry. Your brain waves always move at a certain kind of frequency. Depending on which frequency your brain waves are moving at, you may feel different states of arousal.

Five primary brain waves (gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta) are each associated with their own unique states of behavior. For example, delta waves are the slowest recorded brain waves in humans and are associated with states of deep relaxation and restorative sleep. On the other hand, states of deep concentration usually mean your brain is producing gamma waves.

Binaural beats for sleep

Depending on the frequencies of the two tones you’re listening to, binaural beats may produce different benefits (like some of the ones listed above). For sleep specifically, early research has shown that binaural beats prompt delta waves in your brain which lengthens stage three of the sleep cycle. Stage three is the deepest stage of your sleep cycle that helps you feel refreshed in the morning.

How to use binaural beats

The best part about binaural beats is that anyone can use them at any time. If you look up binaural beats for sleep online you’ll find hundreds of free videos and audio tracks to listen to and help you sleep. Remember, the binaural beat is only created by listening to two different frequencies at the same time. Make sure you have both headphones in!

Are binaural beats more effective than other relaxing sounds? The jury is still out. But if you’re looking for an easy technique to help improve your sleep, why not give binaural beats a try?

If you’re looking for a place to find binaural beats and other sleep sounds, check out Better Sleep.