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5 healthy habits before going to bed for a good and restful sleep

And we round off this weeks articles with 5 easy things you can do to improve your sleep. 

Food:

What you eat at night makes a difference on your sleep. The most important thing is to avoid going to bed with a full stomach. Digestion hampers the quality of your sleep and sleep makes for poor digestion time. This will make you wake up foggy and feeling unrested. You should also allow plenty of time for your body to digest alcohol before bed as alcohol affects sleep cycles negatively. Lastly, try to have a light meal for dinner. You may find it improves the quality of your sleep! 

Hydration :

Make sure to be hydrated when you go to bed as dehydration will also affect the quality of your sleep negatively. 

Exercise: 

As mentioned above, we don’t digest well while sleeping. A walk after a big meal is a great way to help your digestion, as well as getting air and exercise which will reduce stress from the day which in turn will improve your sleep. 

Listening: 

Actively and consciously listening to your surroundings forces you out of your mind, worries and spiralling thoughts, and brings you into the present moment. This makes you more intune with yourself, which means you will be more likely to notice the natural signs your body is giving you to go to bed. Modern technology can make it very easy for us to ignore the natural signs our bodies give us to go to bed. Listening is an act that can help us be more mindful. 

Try a few minutes every evening where you close your eyes and focus on the sounds around you, without blocking them out or making too much sense of them. Just listen. 

SonicTonic: 

Finally, shift your listening towards SonicTonic. Our unique Tonics, made using Receptive Sound Therapy will help you relax and get your mind and body prepared for sleep by stimulating regions of your brain associated with sleep. 

Download SonicTonic from Google Play or the App Store and try it for free tonight!

French version below:

Nous complétons les articles de cette semaine avec 5 habitudes facilement intégrable dans votre vie, afin d’améliorer la qualité de votre sommeil ! 

Nourriture : 

Ce que vous mangez la nuit fait une différence sur votre sommeil. Le plus important est d’éviter d’aller au lit l’estomac plein. La digestion nuit à la qualité de votre sommeil et le sommeil nuit à la digestion.
Vous devriez également laisser le temps à votre corps de digérer l’alcool avant de vous coucher, car l’alcool a un effet négatif sur les cycles du sommeil. Enfin, essayez de prendre un repas léger pour le dîner. Vous constaterez peut-être qu’il améliore la qualité de votre sommeil ! 

Hydratation : 

Assurez-vous d’être bien hydraté lorsque vous allez vous coucher, car la déshydratation aura également une incidence négative sur la qualité de votre sommeil. 

Faites de l’exercice : 

Comme nous l’avons mentionné plus haut, nous ne digérons pas bien pendant le sommeil. Une promenade après le souper ou un repas copieux est une excellente façon d’aider votre digestion, ainsi que de prendre l’air et de faire de l’exercice qui réduira le stress de la journée, ce qui améliorera votre sommeil. 

L’écoute : 

L’écoute active et consciente de votre environnement vous force à sortir de votre esprit, de vos soucis et de vos pensées en spirale, et vous amène au moment présent. Cela vous rend plus en harmonie avec vous-même, ce qui signifie que vous serez plus susceptible de remarquer les signes naturels que votre corps vous donne pour aller au lit. La technologie moderne rend très facile d’ignorer les signes naturels que notre corps nous donne pour aller au lit. L’écoute est un acte qui peut nous aider à être plus attentifs aux messages de notre corps. 

Essayez quelques minutes tous les soirs où vous fermez les yeux et concentrez-vous sur les sons qui vous entourent, sans les bloquer ni trop les comprendre. 

SonicTonic : 

Enfin, déplacez votre écoute vers SonicTonic. Nos toniques uniques, créé à l’aide de la thérapie sonore réceptive, vous aideront à relaxer et à préparer votre corps et votre esprit pour le sommeil, en stimulant les régions du cerveau associées au sommeil. 

Télécharger SonicTonic à partir de Google Play ou l’ App Store et essayez le gratuitement dès ce soir! 

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Pink Noise – A Calm Sleep

Noise is generally something that we try to avoid; it can be incredibly intrusive, irritating and can even damage your hearing. 

Noise in our society is so prevalent that the World Health Organisation has declared noise pollution the second biggest environmental killer after air pollution. 

Nevertheless, as it turns out, not all noise is created equal. 

Last week we shared an article from the Guardian where Megan Nolan recounted her experience with white noise, extolling its virtues in making her relax better, sleep more calmly and generally improving her quality of life. 

Apparently though, pink noise may even be more efficient than white noise. Pink noise is quite similar to white noise except that it accentuates low frequencies, as opposed to white noise which does not accentuate any particular frequency. Read here for more info on white and pink noise. 

According to Barone people’s sleep and memory recall greatly improves when falling asleep with pink noise. Nevertheless, some studies also point towards adverse effects due to continuous exposure to white or pink noise, and whilst none of the studies are conclusive, it’s good to be aware that the noise shouldn’t be played too loudly. 

Having problems with sleep? Then you should try white or pink noise! 

There are lots of videos with noise on Youtube but the source and quality is never guaranteed. To be safe, download SonicTonic from the App or Google store and get high grade white and pink noise for free!
(P.S: if you’re concerned with having your phone in bed due to “electro smog” then put it on flightmode and download Flux to kill the blue light which is keeping you awake. That app is free and literally a life saver). 

Get your great sleeping aid (SonicTonic) at: Google store or App Store .

French version below: 

Le bruit est généralement quelque chose que nous essayons d’éviter ; il peut être incroyablement intrusif, irritant et peut même endommager votre ouïe. 

Le bruit dans notre société est si répandu que l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé a déclaré que la pollution sonore était la deuxième cause principal de mortalité après la pollution atmosphérique. 

Néanmoins, il s’avère que tous les bruits ne sont pas égaux. 

La semaine dernière, nous avons partagé un article du Guardian où Megan Nolan partageait son expérience du bruit blanc et vantait ses vertus en l’aidant à se détendre, à dormir et à améliorer sa qualité de vie en général. 

Apparemment, le bruit rose peut même être plus efficace que le bruit blanc. Le bruit rose est assez similaire au bruit blanc sauf qu’il accentue les basses fréquences, contrairement au bruit blanc qui n’accentue aucune fréquence particulière. Cliquez ici pour plus d’informations sur le bruit blanc et rose. 

Selon Barone, le sommeil et la mémoire des gens s’améliorent considérablement lorsqu’ils s’endorment avec un bruit rose. Néanmoins, certaines études indiquent également des effets néfastes dus à une exposition continue au bruit blanc ou rose, et bien qu’aucune des études ne soit concluante, il est bon d’être conscient que le bruit ne doit pas être joué trop fort. 

Souffrez-vous de troubles du sommeil ? Alors vous devriez essayer le bruit blanc ou rose ! 

Il y a beaucoup de vidéos avec du bruit sur Youtube mais la source et la qualité ne sont jamais garanties. Pour plus de sécurité, téléchargez SonicTonic à partir de l’App Store ou de la boutique Google et obtenez du bruit blanc et rose de haute qualité, gratuitement !
(P.S : si vous êtes inquiet d’avoir votre téléphone au lit à cause de “l’électro smog”, mettez-le en mode avion et téléchargez l’app Flux pour tuer la lumière bleue qui vous empêche de dormir. Cette application est gratuite et littéralement un sauveur de vie). 

Obtenez votre grande aide au sommeil (SonicTonic) à : Google Play ou App Store . 

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How can you be healthy? Sleep!

We’ve now seen that sleep deprivation leads towards a negative bias when interpreting emotional stimuli, making sufficient sleep a key factor for a healthy mind. 

Nevertheless, from increasing the probability of contracting Alzeihmer’s to the deregulation of appetite, sleep deprivation has a wide range of negative consequences.
Move on to this article on The Guardian to find out more about how important a good night’s sleep is! 

And get a free coupon to try out SonicTonic by sending us an email with subject title “sleepsalon2019” at info@sonictonic.io 

French version below:

Le sommeil. La clés pour être en bonne santé ! 

Nous avons vu que le manque de sommeil mène à un biais négatif dans l’interprétation des stimuli émotionnels, rendant le sommeil un facteur clé pour avoir un esprit sain. 

Néanmoins, de l’augmentation de la probabilité de contracter le syndrome d’Alzeihmer à la dérégulation de l’appétit, le manque de sommeil a un large éventail de conséquences négatives.
Passez à cet article sur le Guardian pour en savoir plus sur l’importance d’une bonne nuit de sommeil! 

Et recevez un bon gratuit pour essayer SonicTonic en nous envoyant un courriel avec le titre du sujet “sleepsalon2019” à info@sonictonic.io

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SonicTonic in Paris

John Groves will deliver talks on “Psychoacoustics” and “Sleep improvement through Healing Soundscapes, which stimulate the release of neurochemicals” on the Sleep-Tech stage of the Paris trade show ESPRITMEUBLE on December 7th and 8th. 
SonicTonic will also be exhibiting in the ‘Sleeptech Village’ from 06th – 10th December. 70% of French people suffer from sleeping problems caused by stress, stressful lifestyles, light and noise pollution or an over-exposure to screen radiation. This is why this year’s furniture fair is presenting the ‘Sleeptech Village’ for the first time, which aims to introduce young and innovative companies that deal with sleep-promoting technologies.
Specially designed sound programs can improve our sleep by stimulating the release of the neurochemicals serotonin and melatonin. The presentation on Saturday, 07.12 at 01:30 p.m. is about how this system works. SonicTonic and the use of receptive audio therapies will also be discussed.
The following talk by Mr. Groves will take place on Sunday, 08.12. at 11:30 a.m.:
The discipline that deals with the way sound is perceived and how it influences us is called psychoacoustics. In this lecture, John Groves will illuminate the phenomena of sound and music from a perceptual perspective, highlighting the effects on our emotions, memory, health and sleep.
About Esprit Meuble:

ESPRITMEUBLE is an annual trade show that takes place in Paris at the Expo Porte de Versailles. For five days, over 300 French and international interior brands will be exhibiting. In 2018, the fair welcomed more than 10,000 visitors within two halls of 40,000m2. This year, 11,000 visitors are expected.

ESPRITMEUBLE Details: Place de la Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris, France. 06 – 10 December.

French Version below:

Read more

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The Melatonin Miracle

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a key role in sleep. Our bodies make it naturally but there are ways of stimulating its production. This can be done through diet with foods like nuts, but it can also be done with music and sound. 

According to a study conducted in 1999 by Adarsh M. Kumar and published in “Alternative therapies in health and medicine”, stimulation via the sense of hearing can lead to higher levels of melatonin in the body. This not only contributes to better, more restful sleep, it also contributes to a general state of calmness and relaxed mood. 

SonicTonic is based on methods found in music therapy, so come enjoy our specially composed “sleep series” and improve your sleep by boosting melatonin and reducing stress. 

Send us an email at info@sonictonic.io with the subject title “sleepsalon2019” for a free coupon and try out SonicTonic today!

French version below:

Le miracle de la mélatonine  French Version

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SonicTonic among the best E-Health Apps 2019

This year, SonicTonic was a finalist for the title “World’s best e-health App” at the 8th MEDICA App COMPETITION, supported by BayerG4A and Roche, at this year’s MEDICA in Düsseldorf. On Tuesday, November 19, the competition took place in the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM, the international innovation hotspot for digital health.
Over 100 start-ups from around the world submitted their app- and platform-based solutions for the promotion of health care and 15 made it to the finals.
After exciting presentations by the international finalists, the result was clear – SonicTonic is among the top 5% in the world. The title “World’s best e-health App”, however, went to another innovative idea. 
The 8th MEDICA App COMPETITION has reached an important milestone in promoting innovation in healthcare to support patients, physicians and hospitals in their daily lives.
Growing stress, pressure to perform and a lack of balance in working life are increasingly leading to mental illnesses. Sleep and anxiety disorders and even depression can be results. As an e-health app, SonicTonic offers simple help for mental complaints.
You can also visit our Facebook page here.
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SonicTonic – the best health app in the world?

SonicTonic was chosen from 100 applicants as a finalist at the eighth MEDICA app COMPETITION which is sponsored by BayerG4A and Roche Diagnostics.

In this competition “The best health app solution worldwide” will be awarded.

Next to 14 other finalists from all over the world, we will take part in a final pitch on 19.11.2019 at the MEDICA – the largest international health trade fair with over 5500 exhibitors and 120000 visitors. John Groves, founder of SonicTonic and GROVES Sound Branding GmbH, will present the SonicTonic app at 1 pm and convince the jury of our digital auditory health solution.

For more information about the MEDICA App COMPETITION visit:

https://www.innovationworldcup.com/top15-medical-apps-2019/

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SonicTonic is a proud partner of the festival “Eufonia – Sound, Art & Science”

The auditory eHealth app – SonicTonic – is on the road again. This November, find us in our lovely capital – Berlin – where we have the pleasure of partnering with “Eufonia – Sound, Art & Science”; an interdisciplinary festival exploring the intersections between art and science. Other partners include Ableton, ADAM Audio and Grover.

Eufonia is an exhibition of artists, scientists, psychologists, designers and researchers from all over the world, who share the common medium of sound. The participants will explore, at the intersections of audio, art and science by looking at the past, present and future of the use of sound.

During the festival on the 3rd of November, John Groves will hold a panel discussion on the use of sound in health care. If you are interested, please visit the discussion at Veteranenstraße 21, Berlin at 13:40.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about SonicTonic and a healthy way of life with sound and visit the exhibition on Saturday or Sunday.

01. – 03. November 2019 @ ACUD MACH NEU (Veteranenstraße 21, Berlin)

For tickets and more information visit: www.eufonia-festival.com

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Studies Prove that Listening to Sound can Improve Concentration

When I was young, my parents used to always say: “Switch of that music and do your homework!!” At that time, it was believed that listening to music while studying was distracting.

Let’s not forget that the science, in those days, had me forced into eating tons of spinach in the misinformed belief that it would make me healthy. It was generally believed that spinach contained an incredible amount of iron, but today we all knows that this belief was due to a decimal point somehow ending up in the wrong place!

Improve Productivity

Everybody knows that music can improve our mood and generate positive feelings, but now it seems it is considered to be good to listen to music while studying. In fact, there are a number of studies that prove that we can actually study better while listening to music. There are also studies showing that music can significantly boost productivity. Apparently, music blocks out background noise and replaces unpredictable distractions with predictable and rhythmic sounds, thereby significantly improving the ability to remain focused.

Retain More Information

Research confirms that music can also help us to concentrate and perform for longer periods of time. This is particularly true for tasks that involve us being creative. Music can be used specifically to initiate internal processing and facilitate inventiveness. The tempo and rhythmic patterns of music help to maintain attention. Music can also help us to stay alert when we’re feeling drowsy. More importantly, studying while listening to the right music can help us to retain more information – turning it into a sort of auditory memory booster!

Background Music

One study found that students who attended a lecture where music was playing quietly in the background, scored significantly higher than students who attended the same lecture without music. And it’s not just music: recent studies have shown that listening to special recordings containing Brainwave Entrainment techniques, such as Binaural Beats, can significantly increase IQ and improve academic test scores!

Work Better in Coffee Shops.

Coffee shop workers have reported that they feel more focused, effective and creative. It seems that the sound of coffee shops is conducive to concentration and productivity. This seems to be because the sound provides the ideal level of distraction. Science suggests that the increased effort used to work against small distractions can actually enhance concentration and retention levels. In one study, 300 participants were exposed to an ambient background noise of around 70 decibels, which is about the level of a medium to busy coffee shop. They were then asked questions using objective word-association. Their score was significantly higher with background sounds than when the test was conducted in silence.

So there we have it: the state of mind that is achieved by listening to sound and music can help us to study better, learn more, concentrate for longer, and retain more information. So put on those head-phones and get to work! (…with a nice cup of coffee or lovely plate of spinach!)

__________

SonicTonic is an app that has specifically designed programmes to improve focus and concentration. There is even a free series of surround-recordings of coffee shops.

Visit www.sonictonic.io

 

Sources:

Music during lectures: Will students learn better?

Research Shows Listening to Music Increases Productivity (and Some Types of Music Are Super Effective)

Do you get your best work done in coffee shops? Here’s why

The Best Music to Listen to For Optimal Productivity, According to Science

“The Effects of Various Kinds of Background Music on the I.Q. Scores of Ninth-Grade Students”

 

 

 

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What are Binaural Beats and how do they work?

One of the ingredients used in SonicTonic is Binaural Beats, but what are these and how do they work?

What are Binaural Beats?

Binaural beats are sounds that are heard in the left and right ear as two slightly different frequency tones, yet perceived as one. So the binaural auditory beat that a person hears is the difference in frequency between the left and the right ear. Binaural beats are always lower than 1000 hertz (Hz) as it is at these frequencies that the brain detects the binaural beat.

For example, if the left ear registers a tone at 440 Hz and the right at 430 Hz (preferably with headphones) the binaural beat that is heard by the brain is the difference between the two frequencies — 10 Hz.

A number of studies have proven that listening to Binaural Beats can influence brainwaves and that the brain will synchronize to the frequency given by the Binaural Beats, which is why they’re used in the Receptive Sound Therapy in SonicTonic.

The effects on the brain, or “Brainwave entrainment” can be measured when a large number of neurons in the brain, send small electro-chemical signals to each other. These can be detected and visualized on an electroencephalogram (EEG).

How do Binaural Beats work?

There are a number of studies that have investigated the effect of Binaural Beats on the human body – both on cognitive processes, e.g. creativity, memory, and physical aspects, such as pain.

They can help with memory…

A study by Prof. T. Ortis investigated the effect of Binaural Beats on memory performance. As part of the experiment, twenty subjects were asked to remember incoherent words and then recite them back from memory.

During the study, which was conducted over a 15-day period, they heard various acoustic signals: Binaural Beats of 5Hz and 13Hz and white noise, respectively. The results showed a significantly positive effect as for those exposed twice a day to 15 minutes of 5Hz Binaural Beats.

… boost creativity

At Leiden University in the Netherlands, an experiment explored the connection between Binaural Beats and creativity. In the study, 24 subjects performed 3 experiments per day: In the first, they were stimulated with a Binaural Beat using an Alpha frequency of 10 Hz, in the second with a Binaural Beat using a Gamma frequency of 40 Hz and in the third with a non-binaural, constant tone of 340Hz as a control situation.

The order of the three experiments varied from participant to participant. At the beginning of the experiment, the participants were stimulated with one of the three sound sources, and then, while the audio signal was on, they were given various tasks that required creative thinking.

In one part of the experiment, the researchers looked at divergent thinking, so tasks were set to test this, e.g. participants were asked to list as many uses of a specific household item as possible in a given period of time.

The second part of the task involved the study of convergent thinking. Participants were given the task of finding a word that can be linked to the three others, such as combining“super” with ’market’, ‘star’ and ‘hero’.

The study found that stimulation with Binaural Beats, regardless of frequency, positively affected divergent thinking.

…reduce anxiety

The prospect of surgery often leaves patients feeling anxious. This can be explained by the loss of control, the unfamiliar environment, along with the perceived risk of the procedure. Dr. Padmanabhan and his colleagues investigated the influence of Binaural Beats on the feelings of anxiety experienced before an upcoming operation. The study was conducted at the Sunderland Royal Hospital over a 6-month period with a total of 108 patients who were awaiting surgery under general anaesthesia.

About 45-60 minutes before surgery, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire to help them understand their subjective anxiety. Thereafter, each participant had one of the following randomly-triggered actions:

  • A Binaural Beat embedded in a soundtrack was played to them
  • A soundtrack without a Binaural Beat was played to them, or
  • No audio file was played to them (the Participants were allowed to read or watch TV, for example).

Participants were then asked to complete the same questionnaire again. The result was a significant reduction in the levels of anxiety for those who had listened to Binaural Beats.

…reduce pain

A study by Dr. Donna D. Zampi investigated whether Binaural Beats can be used effectively to relieve chronic pain. To this end, 36 patients who were suffering from various types of chronic pain were divided into two groups. One group listened to Binaural Beats at 6Hz for 20 minutes on 14 consecutive days, while the other group listened to a non-binaural tone of 300Hz as placebo. Subsequently, the groups were changed for the next 14 days. As a result, it could be proven that the perceived pain could be significantly lowered by listening to Binaural Beats.

It is safe to say, it is scientifically proven that Binaural Beats can positively influence various cognitive and physical processes, such as memory, creativity, fear or pain. Many listeners perceive Binaural Beats to be more pleasant when they are embedded in music as opposed to listening to pure sine waves.

With SonicTonic you can do both, so if you would like to see the effects of Binaural Beats for yourself, download the app and try out them out today.

 

 

Sources

[1] Chaieb, Leila et al: Auditory beat stimulation and its effects on cognition and mood states, In: Frontiers in
Psychatry 6:70 (2015)
[2] Oster, Gerald: Auditory beats in the brain, In: Scientific American 229 (1973), S. 94-102
[3] Ortis, T.: Impact of auditory stimulation at a frequency of 5Hz in verbal memory, In: Actas Esp Psiquitar (2008) 36(6):
307-13
[4] Reedijk, Susan et al: The impact of binaural beats on creativity, In: Frontiers in human neuroscience (2013) 7:786
[5] Padmanabhan, R. et al: A prospective, randomised, controlled study examining binaural beat audio and preoperative
anxiety in patients undergoing general anaesthesia for day case surgery, In: Anaesthesia (2005) 60:9:874-7
[6] Zampi, Donna D.: Efficacy of Theta Binaural Beats for the Treatment of Chronic Pain, In: Alternative Therapies in
Health & Medicine, Jan/Feb2016, Vol. 22 Issue 1, p32-38. 7p.
[7] Berger, Hans: Über das Elektrenkephalogramm des Menschen, In: Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten 87,
1929, S. 527-570
[8] Heraz, A.; Frasson, C.: Predicting the three major dimensions of the learner’s Emotions from Brainwaves,
In: International Journal of Computer Science Vol. 2 No. 3, 187-193
[9] Mori, T.; Kai, S.: Noise-Induced Entrainment and Stochastic Resonance in Human Brain Waves, In: Physical Review
Letters, Vol. 88 No. 21 (2002)
[10] Thaut, M. H.: Neural basis of rhythmic timing networks in the human brain, In: Annals of the New York Academy of
Sciences, Band 999, November 2003, S. 364–373
[11] Dobie, R.A et al.: Binaural interaction in human auditory evoked potentials, In: Electroencephalography and clinical
neurophysiology, Bd.49(3-4), S. 303–313
[12] Christine Beauchene1, Nicole Abaid2, Rosalyn Moran3, Rachel A. Diana4, Alexander Leonessa1: The Effect of
Binaural Beats on Visuospatial Working Memory and Cortical Connectivity
Based on a German posting by musicfox.com

 

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