Devices, Not Drugs: Brain Wave app

For several weekend and holiday afternoons I've enjoyed satisfying power naps. An aural "Brain Wave Entrainment" app program I bought on iTunes seems to really work for me. As a believer in "devices, not drugs," I endorse this sleep aid.

I play it all night via my iPad, and broadcast the sound to a wireless speaker next to my bed.

Here's the iTunes product description;

Brain Wave ™ - 30 Advanced Binaural Brainwave Entrainment Programs with Relaxing Ambient Background Sounds, Gentle Alarm and iTunes Music Integration for Sleep, Focus, Energy, Memory, Meditation and More

by Banzai Labs

Description

Advanced Sequences of Binaural Tones are combined with configurable Ambient Nature Sounds and Atmospheric Music (or your iTunes Music) to stimulate specific Brainwave Patterns * Includes Powerful Binaural Sequences for Sleep, Focus, Energy, Positive Mood, Confidence, Anxiety, Stress Relief, Relaxation, Yoga, Memory, Motivation, Headache, Concentration and Meditation and much more!

* Universal app with built-in UIs for iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, and iPhone 5 so you get it on all your devices. (Supports iOS 5.0 and higher) * Updated for iOS 7 *

How it Works:

Brain Wave synchronizes your brainwaves with a specific frequency by sending two different audible frequencies to each ear, which, after being processed by the brain, are perceived as an inaudible low frequency beat matching the target brainwave frequency.
Various states of mind are associated with different inaudible brain wave frequencies, ranging from an alert and focused state of mind to deeply relaxed, all the way to deep sleep, and can be induced with this technique.

Brain Wave recreates these frequencies using the most advanced multi-stage binaural sequences available, allowing your mind you to relax and synchronize with your desired state. It achieves this using our unique process called Progressive Brainwave Entrainment.
Progressive Brainwave Entrainment
 - Composite Binaural Frequencies that stimulate multiple brainwave frequencies are used to create combination experiences, such as exercise motivation and a positive mood boost.

 - Progressive Brainwave Programs - Each program goes through a progression of brainwaves, each for a specific period of time sufficient to synchronize your brainwaves with the binaural tones. This ensures a more effective brainwave entrainment experience.

Features

- 30 advanced binaural programs to use throughout the day.
 - Advanced multi-stage binaural sequences to take your mind through a series of binaural frequencies to achieve your desired state of mind.
 - Multiple program durations (10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 40 min, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours)
 - Ability to create your own custom duration setting based on time of day or duration.
 - Soothing background sounds including Atmospheric Music, Waterfall, Flowing Creek, Ocean Waves, Forest, Rain, Thunder and Pink Noise (a common type of background noise used with binaural tones). Your brain will process the binaural frequencies played over these background sounds.
- You can save your preferred settings, including background choice, iTunes playlist, Alarm settings, and volume for each Brainwave Program.
- Use the included Ambience or create a playlist of your own iTunes Music to use with each program.
- Choose from one of the 6 included gentle alarm sounds, or select one of your own iTunes Music tracks for the alarm (alarm is optional).

Brain Wave Programs

 - Morning Coffee
 - Espresso Shot
 - Morning Meditation
 - Focused and Alert
 - Critical Thinking
 - Concentration
 - Memory Boost
 - Problem Solving
 - Brainstorm
 - Confidence Boost
 - Pre-Exercise Energy
 - Creativity Boost
 - Positive Mood Boost
 - Motivation Boost
 - Euphoria
 - Stress Reduction
 - Anger Relief
 - Calm Reflection
 - Reduce Anxiety
 - Deep Relaxation
 - Meditation
 - Lucid Dreaming
 - Dreamy Sleep
 - Power Nap
 - Deep Sleep
 - Deep Sleep with Binaural Wake-up Stage
 - Dreamy Sleep with Binaural Wake-up Stage
 - Headache Relief
 - Hangover Relief
 - Yoga Meditation

Included Ambient Backgrounds
- Ocean Waves
- Ocean Waves 2
- Rain and Thunder
- Atmospheres: Serenity
- Atmospheres: Awakening
- Atmospheres: Space
- Medium Rain
- Light Rain
- Waterfall
- Flowing Creek
- Pink Noise
- Forest

Included Alarms
- Chinese Flute 1
- Chinese Flute 2
- Tabla
- Gong
- Earthship
- Electronic

Safety Warning: Brainwave entrainment can take effect rapidly and should never be used while driving or operating machinery.

Hope or Hype?: Wires Deep in Brains Tame OCD --- Sometimes

AP, Reuters - Wires deep in brains tame OCD ... sometimes.

 

 A critical look at health reporting by Charlie Petit, 2008

Studies of a highly experimental and imprecise experiment on just 16 people are difficult for reporters to handle well.

The statistics are probably iffy. Chances of irresponsibly raising public expectations, if the malady in question is serious and common, are high.

The AP's Stephanie Nano did it anyway, reporting tantalizing results from a study in France that tested a "brain pacemaker" (deep brain stimulation) in patients with serious obsessive-compulsive disorder.

 As Nano included some rather horrific side effects right off the bat and including bleeding into the brain, one suspects public demand for this unproven treatment will be scant. So, she seems to have gotten away with it.

Ditto for Reuters's Gene Emery, the only other writer for a major outlet who appears to have done the piece as soon as the embargo lifted.

The AP's Nano has one non-author's opinion of the work (not exactly an outside authority however - at the Nat'l Inst of Mental Health.

The study has NIH money CORRECTION: No NIH money. The Tracker misread the link as from a list of NIH-funded projects. Hat off to Nano for reaching an independent authority). 

Emery at Reuters has none.

The work is inherently fascinating. Its underlying thesis is, to The Tracker's way of thinking anyway, intuitively solid. Another reason to give the results circulation: they are in the New England Journal of Medicine and have eight full-width lines of authors.

Of interest is the press release (see Grist below), provided in both English and French by the researchers' parent institution.

 It reminds one of a style of press release seldom still seen from US publicists. It's not a ready-to-run story. It is a fact-packed background information store. It compels reporters to craft a compelling yarn all by themselves.

In this internet age, public relations pros know a lot of their releases, especially those of immediate public interest, are going to be re-posted all over the internet.

This may be one reason releases seem increasingly to be in conventional daily journalism form - anecdotal leads, lots of quotes, colorful asides, and so on.

They can tell the story so well (just speculating here of course) that journalists in a hurry easily repeat the press officer's metaphors and angles and even lift the quotes verbatim and unattributed.

Source:

http://ksj.mit.edu/tracker/2008/11/ap-reuters-wires-deep-brains-tame-ocd-so

Devices, Not Drugs: Part I: Sleep Disorders: A Personal Report

by Don Mangus

Here’s a start on my one-man, anecdotal report on all the devices, esoteric research, and alternative treatments I’ve explored over the last year or three.

I feel that technological, dietary, lifestyle, and mind/body treatments for physical and mental health ailments and syndromes are the preferred way to go -- whenever possible. They are underutilized, IMHO.

Why take a drug or risk an operation if you can treat an existing problem treatable with a device? There will likely be fewer harmful or irreversible side-effect/complications, or dangerous drug interactions, with the added benefits of lower cost, and most likely, less pain.

It seems likely that many of our modern health problems are really  the result of our modern lifestyle outstripping the adaptations of our biological evolution.

For instance -- it may be more common and natural for many folks to sleep at several night/day periods during the natural rise and fall of circadian rhythm/hormonal cycles rather than to force the entire sleep experience into a solid, compressed eight-hour block.

This modern-day, Western concept may be simply a cultural result of trying to squeeze more productivity out of post-Industrial Revolution workers. The same goes for the electric light, which artificially extended our wakeful hours. It’s been reported that Thomas Edison deplored sleep as “wasted time.”

Likewise, it seems our sympathetic nervous system has remained at a stage of evolution adapted for quick bursts of “fight or flight” responses to survive the short-term dangers of the Paleolithic Era, rather than the chronic situational stresses common to our modern workplace -- never-ending deadlines, societal pressures, anxiety-producing forcasts of impending crises – as well as just plain old over-stimulation of our senses and minds.

So…away we go...

Sleep Devices:

I suffer with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This sleep disorder is best treated by the “gold standard” of medical devices -- the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. Before I treated this pernicious condition eleven years ago, I was at my wit’s end.

I'd advise my fellow sufferers to avoid painful throat operations or oral jaw-jacking appliances, and to favor the CPAP instead. However, one way or another, the condition should be treated and never ignored.

Not treating chronic OSA can lead to heart damage or even sudden death from arrhythmia-induced cardiac arrest -- so it should be treated. OSA is a very common problem for the general public, and the real money-maker for sleep clinics, and thus easily diagnosed and treated.

Chronic Insomnia is a much, much more difficult condition to treat. I was nearly done-in by a month-long bought of chronic insomnia, and finally had to be hospitalized due to such complications as severe anxiety, depression, , and finally, ceaseless ruminations of suicide. That’s how bad it got. I can fully empathize with the tragic consequences of the sleep-deprived desperation exhibited such celebrities as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Heath Ledger.

It took two weeks of nightly experiments with various formulations/combinations of heavy-duty “drug cocktails” to stabilize my sleep and mood. Although the intervention worked, these meds are troublesome, and should only be used short-term if possible. I titrated myself off them as much and as soon as possible.

If you have to take them -- you have to -- but there’s a long-term price to pay. From personal experience, I’d strongly recommend avoiding two especially troublesome meds -- Ambien and Zyprexa, if at all possible.

However, if you find yourself suffering from such extreme symptoms as I did, hospitalization is a great idea – it sped up the healing process and the intervention should be considered a necessary Emergency Room situation. Don’t try to “tough it out” or go it alone. Reach out for help.

A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

Natural Supplements: For mild cases of temporary insomnia -- melatonin, valerian root, and l-theanine supplements may help.

Sleep hygiene: it might help in bad-habit or “conditioned” cases. Among the key concepts to try are: a quiet environment (use ear plugs or a “white noise” machine), room and body temperature, and total darkness (use an eye mask).

Also, avoid caffeine, alcohol, exercise, and food too close to bedtime. Avoid over-stimulation from such situations as emotional phone calls, and excessive ruminations about the day’s events or tomorrow’s plans.

Another good trick is to take a warm bath prior to getting into bed. As the body’s temperature cools down, it’s easier to fall asleep.

These CBT techniques work best for very minor, temporary insomnia.

The Effects of Colored Light on Circadian Rhythms, the Light-Dark Cycle, and Melatonin Release:

There’s a theory that “light pollution” profoundly disrupts the natural circadian rhythms/body clock and thus the body’s release of melatonin.

I’m a believer that this theory is very, very valid.

Exposure to bright sunlight for 25 minutes in the morning exposes the body to “blue part” of the light spectrum which inhibits the release of melatonin, and also helps set the natural wake/sleep cycle.

On a side note, on cloudy days -- or for those suffering a bout of Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) -- exposure to artificial light from a special blue-light lamp can sometimes bring relief.

I’ve experimented with wearing blue-lensed glasses in the early morning to enhance my wakefulness. These glasses also seem to have an added calming effect on my mood. Although they may make you appear to be a hipster or jazzman, they do seem to be very effective for me.

The biggest factor though, is that later in the evening and night, we subject ourselves to artificial “light pollution” from electric lights, TV screens, computer monitors, light-emitting diodes, etc.

The thing to do here, in the early evening, is to don “blue-blocker” sunglasses (orange or amber colored lenses) which simulate darkness to the body and signal the circadian rhythms to begin a release of melatonin.

I put my “blue-blockers” on when I come home from work, and wear them while using my computer, tablet, reading, and watching TV. They simulate a perpetual sunset.

When I wake in the middle of the night, I also wear them while I read. This very simple device prevents “over-stimulation” from “full-spectrum, white electric light,” and makes it much, much easier to drift back to sleep. I can’t recommend them highly enough for insomniacs.

 What a simple solution – so much better than hypnotic drugs.

An Endorsement of Naps: I love to take an afternoon nap when I can. The best time is naturally, from noon to 3:30 PM. This is the time of a natural lull in alertness in our circadian cycle, but “power napping” is much discouraged by most modern Western work schedules.

I’d nap every day if I could.

More on my other experiments with devices and supplements, later.

In the News: Devices, Not Drugs: A Memory Chip for the Brain?

Brain Implant Could Help Patients Generate New Memories

by Christopher York

A team of scientists at the University of Southern California believe they are two years away from creating a brain implant capable of generating memories within patients' brains.

The implications could be profound for medicine -- and probably not horrific in a 'Total Recall' sort of way.

If successful it could help victims of brain injuries and possibly Alzheimer's with memory recall -- and has the potential to help patients remember who they are.

The implant will target the hippocampus, an area thought to be crucial in forming long-term memories.

The team intend to develop a technique to recreate the electrical signals used in the hippocampus that have been lost due to illness or injury.

They have already had success in tests on rats and monkeys.

Professor Ted Berger who worked on the project told MIT Technology Review: "We're not putting individual memories back into the brain. We're putting in the capacity to generate memories.

"I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime. I might not benefit from it myself but my kids will."

Devices, Not Drugs: Orange Glasses

Great Sleep! Reduced Cancer!: A Scientific Approach to Great Sleep and Reduced Cancer Risk by Richard L. Hansler


In 2001 it was discovered that it is only the blue component in ordinary white light that causes melatonin suppression.

Melatonin is the hormone that promotes sleep and is a powerful cancer fighter. This book traces the story of how research with animals and humans has demonstrated the health benefits of long periods of darkness that maximize melatonin.

By blocking just the blue light a condition of “virtual darkness” allows enjoyment of normal evening activities while maximizing melatonin flow. The benefits go far beyond better sleep and reducing cancer risk. They include helping to avoid postpartum depression, improving symptoms of ADHD, and helping to stabilize mood in patients with bipolar disorder.

Amazon Customer Reviews

Light and our Lives November 25, 2008
By Rebecca E. Hutchins

As a behavioral optometrist who has long been fascinated by the non-visual portion of the optic nerve, and who recently learned about melanopsin and its implications, this book was meant for me to read. It has an incredible amount of information not readily available on the effects of light at night on our health. The author worked for 40-some years in the lighting industry, and is now concerned enough about the implications of light in insomnia and cancer that he is attempting to find a way to address some of the issues with the use of blue-blocking lenses. I did purchase two pair from the website to compare with those that we use in our office, and found the tint a little hard to handle personally, but I think the topic is a timely and important one, and it is well-handled in this book. I am beginning to believe that Light Pollution and Light at Night may be almost as big an issue to our survival as Global Warming.

Blue light, melatonin, quality of sleep and antioxidant properties April 18, 2012
By J. Duncan

Interesting info on light, the blue spectrum in particular, and how it affects (delays) the start of melatonin production, which affects the onset of sleep. Contains several ideas on how to reduce exposure to blue light, at what times you should consider this, and how even slight exposures late at night (or during the night) can still interfere. UVEX glasses are a cost-effective way to start.

Not sure how - but it works March 24, 2013
By IUS Jan

Dr. Oz promoted this on his television show. I bought the book and the glasses. I am amazed but if you remember to use them (especially if you are on the computer at night) the technologies works. I get drowsy faster and when I go to bed I fall asleep more quickly. I am a believer.