What are brain waves?
The basis for all our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors is the communication that happens between neurons in our brain. A neuron is the basic working unit (cell) of the brain and is designed to transmit information to other nerve, muscle, or gland cells. The brain has billions of neurons and each individual neuron connects to thousands of others. Communication between each neuron happens through small electrical currents that travel along the neuron and through the huge network of brain circuits. Brain waves are pulses of electrical voltages resulting from the activated neurons in the brain that allow for the neurons to communicate with each other.
Our brain waves can change according to how we are feeling or what we are doing. When slower brain waves are dominant, you may feel tired, slow, or relaxed. When higher brain wave frequencies are dominant, we may feel wired, excited, or hyper-alert.
Brain waves can be detected with an electroencephalogram (EEG), using sensors placed on the scalp. An EEG measures brain wave activity by detecting and amplifying faint electrical signals. Brain wave speed is measured in Hertz (cycles per second), and the waves are divided into bands delineating slow, moderate, and fast waves.
What are the types of brain waves?
There are five commonly recognized types of brain waves: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Below are broad descriptions of each type of brain wave. It is important to note, however, that brains are far more complex and may reflect different aspects when they occur in different locations in the brain.
Delta Waves
Delta brain waves (0.5 – 3 Hertz) are a low frequency brain wave. They most often occur in the deepest meditation and dreamless sleep. When delta brain waves are most prevalent, healing and regeneration are stimulated and that is why deep restorative sleep is so valuable for overall wellness.
Theta Waves
Theta brain waves (3 – 7 Hertz) occur most often when you are relaxed, sleeping, or in deep meditation. Theta brain waves are our gateway to learning, memory, and intuition. During periods of increased theta brain waves, our senses are withdrawn from the external world and focused on signals originating from within. When we are dreaming, as our dreams become more focused and energetic, our brain waves are changing from a resting delta state of a more active theta state.
Alpha Waves
Alpha brain waves (7 – 13 Hertz) are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts, and in some meditative states. In most cases, however, you are still awake and alert. Alpha is the resting state for the brain. Alpha waves aid overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, mind/body integration, and learning.
Beta Waves
Beta brain waves (13 – 32 Hertz) are prevalent during most of your normal waking hours when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, present when we are alert, attentive, engaged in problem solving, judgment, decision making, or focused mental activity. Continual high frequency processing is not a very efficient way to run the brain, as it takes a tremendous amount of energy.
Gamma Waves
Gamma brain waves (32 – 100 Hertz) are the fastest frequency of brain waves and relate to simultaneous processing of information from different brain areas. Gamma brain waves pass information rapidly. The most subtle of the brain wave frequencies, gamma brain waves require a quiet mind.
Why do we care about our brain waves?
Our brain wave profile and our daily experiences of the world go hand in hand. When our brain waves are imbalanced, there is commonly a corresponding difficulty in our physical or mental wellbeing.
Research shows that over-arousal in certain brain areas is linked with anxiety disorders, sleep problems, nightmares, hyper-vigilance, impulsive behavior, anger/aggression, agitated depression, and chronic nerve pain. On the other side of the spectrum, under-arousal in certain brain areas leads to some types of depression, attention deficit, chronic pain, and insomnia. A combination of under-arousal and over-arousal is seen in cases of anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Additionally, research has determined that instabilities in brain rhythms correlate with tics, obsessive-compulsive disorder, aggressive behavior, rage, bruxism, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, migraines, narcolepsy, epilepsy, sleep apnea, vertigo, tinnitus, anorexia/bulimia, PMT, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and explosive behavior.
For our brains to function optimally, we need both flexibility and resilience to regularly balance our brains. Research shows that meditation can enable us to move from higher frequency brain waves to lower frequency, creating a balance in the brain and ultimately calming the mind.
What is Audio Visual Stimulation (AVS)?
Audio Visual Stimulation (AVS), a form of neuromodulation, is a non-pharmacological solution that has been researched for effectiveness in performance enhancement and symptom management. AVS is also often referred to as “light and sound stimulation” and has been scientifically studied since the early 1930’s.
AVS works through a process called entrainment, where the light and sound elements of AVS stimulation can help lower the frequency of brainwave activity. When the light and sound pulses resemble a pattern the brain itself uses, the brain responds by adjusting the brain waves to this pattern. Using this approach, the brain can trigger itself into a restful, healthy state of relaxation. By mimicking ‘relaxing brain waves’ you can boost your mood, improve sleep patterns, sharpen your mind, and increase relaxation levels.
The Sana device uses AVS to put your mind into a deep, meditative state.
How does the Sana My Relief session work?
The Sana device leverages audio visual stimulation (AVS) to support rest, recovery, sleep management, and overall wellness. The Sana device’s AVS algorithm is specifically designed to balance the brain across the left and right hemispheres.
During the 16-minute My Relief session, the Sana device provides a patented series of light and sound pulses from three distinct pulse frequencies:
~8Hz (Alpha Brain Waves)
3Hz (Theta Brain Waves)
1Hz (Delta Brain Waves)
For each frequency, there are distinct sections where the audio and visual pulses alternate from eye-to-eye and ear-to-ear.
The Sana session AVS algorithm provides a continual progression from one pulse frequency to another. As this happens the individual moves into a deeper meditative and relaxed state. At the conclusion of the Sana session, most individuals feel very relaxed and many fall asleep.
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