In this video, we have layered together sleep music with binaural beats and the sound of water. This is a winning combination when it comes to the battle against insomnia.
The Audio in this Video
We have adapted and enhanced some beautiful sleep music created by others (please see the acknowledgment below). We enhanced this music by mixing in sounds of nature as a second layer. And then we added binaural beats to suit a sleeping frame of mind as a third layer.
In this case, our music is a calming meditation piece. Our background layer is the sound of ocean waves, and our binaural beat is a deep Delta 1.5 Hz.
The brain processes sound, even as we sleep. And different sounds can affect how well we sleep. This happens on both a conscious and subconscious level. So, for this reason, we “layer” the audio in our videos.
The first, or top, layer is the beautiful music that you actively listen to. This is “top of mind” as we lie down to sleep.
The second layer is a sound of nature, which is there to enhance the beauty of the top layer music. It is simultaneously an opportunity to bring in a background noise “hue,” which is often recommended as helpful to people with insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Noise Hues as an aid to sleep
We often see “white noise” recommended as being helpful for insomnia and other sleep disorders. But noise comes in other colors or hues too, depending on the frequency and energy of the sound type. Here’s a brief overview.
White noise: white noise is evenly distributed across all audible frequencies. And this results in a steady humming type of sound. This has the ability to block out other types of sound that might stimulate the brain and disturb sleep. Examples are an air conditioner or a fan running.
Pink noise: pink noise is a deeper sound and occurs at lower frequencies. Examples found in Nature are the sounds of rain and wind. Studies indicate that pink noise can calm brainwave activity and promote deep and stable sleep.
Brown noise (also called red noise): brown noise has higher energy and at lower frequencies than white noise. Examples in Nature are heavy waterfalls and thunder. There is evidence that the depth of brown noise induces sleep and relaxation.
Black noise: black noise describes the absence of noise or complete silence. This is actually hard to achieve. But some people sleep best when there is virtually no noise.
Binaural Beats
The third layer of our music is a binaural beat. This is a pair of tones, separated quite narrowly in various frequencies. One tone is delivered to one ear and the other tone to the other ear.
The binaural beat is in the deep background and is barely noticeable to the listener. This is because listening to flat tones on their own can be irritating and distracting. Nonetheless, they are there and have a subconscious effect.
Binaural beats, which are a kind of auditory illusion, are tuned to our brainwaves and are used to stimulate certain desired mental states. They have what is known as an “entrainment effect” on the brain that acts in different ways, depending on the frequency.
Our brainwaves, also called neural oscillations, are associated with certain mental states. And for our purpose here, we focus on those mental states associated with deep sleep or relaxation
The Delta waveband ( 0.1 – 4 Hz) is associated with deep sleep, healing, relaxing, and restoration.
The Theta waveband (4 – 8 Hz) is associated with a meditative and creative state, REM sleep, deep relaxation, reduced anxiety, inward focus, and feelings.
The term “binaural” is derived from the words bi (the Latin for two) and auris (the Latin for ear). And this means that in order for the brain to perceive and benefit from binaural beats, you must use headphones.
You can get headphones designed for listening to music while you sleep. You can get them combined with eyeshades too. Check out these links.
https://amzn.to/3B9QyzR
https://amzn.to/3ptwaHF
The Visuals in this Video
We have selected and collated calming and sleep-inducing video clips from the public domain. We have further enhanced them by overlaying video of a sleeping Avatar or surrogate to help draw the viewer into a sleep-receptive frame of mind.
