Through the years I have been adopting several practices to help calm my nervous system. On several occasions I have woken up feeling as though my nervous system is frazzled. From years and years of being in high alert. Always having in the back of my mind that I’m going to get a phone call about something traumatic happening. After years and years of getting phone calls with “bad news” or an incident my eldest son was involved in, I became afraid of answering the phone. The mere experience of the phone ringing would put me into a state of panic. Now that my son has passed away I no longer have that panic but still have to put in daily effort to practice ways to calm and soothe my dysregulated nervous system. How do I know it’s dysregulated? It’s an inner trembling.
Listening to Hemi sync before bed or certain mornings or after working in a massage chair really has had a profound positive effect on calming and soothing me naturally. My doctor once asked me if I needed “something”, prescription wise to help, knowing the turmoil that I was going through. I declined because I know I hate the side affects and it doesn’t solve the problem. More on that in another blog.
Here is more about Hemi-Sync and its benefits. Hemi sync, short for Hemispheric Synchronization, is an audio technology that uses binaural beats to promote a variety of mental and physiological benefits, including calming the nervous system and improving sleep. Here’s how it works:
1. Binaural Beats and Brainwave Entrainment:
• Binaural beats are created when two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear, prompting the brain to perceive a third tone, which is the difference between the two frequencies. This phenomenon can influence brainwave activity.
• For example, if one ear hears a 300 Hz sound and the other hears a 310 Hz sound, the brain perceives a 10 Hz beat. This beat encourages the brain to synchronize its electrical activity to the frequency of the beat, a process called brainwave entrainment.
• Different brainwave frequencies correspond to different mental states. For sleep and relaxation, the goal is to encourage slower brainwave frequencies like alpha (8-12 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz), which are associated with relaxation, creativity, and deep sleep.
2. Calming the Nervous System:
• Theta and Alpha waves are associated with states of deep relaxation and light sleep. When listening to Hemi-Sync recordings that emphasize these frequencies, the brain shifts away from the more alert, faster beta waves (13-30 Hz) associated with stress and anxiety.
• By inducing these slower brainwave states, Hemi-Sync helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for “rest and digest” functions. This leads to a state of deep relaxation, lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels, effectively calming the nervous system.
3. Improved Sleep Quality:
• The theta waves promoted by Hemi-Sync recordings are particularly linked to deep stages of sleep (such as REM and deep sleep), which are crucial for restorative rest and emotional regulation.
• Additionally, the use of Hemi-Sync can help break the cycle of insomnia or fragmented sleep patterns. As the brain learns to synchronize to these calming frequencies, it becomes easier to enter a state of deep relaxation, reducing mental chatter and anxiety, both of which can hinder sleep.
4. Stress Reduction:
• Regular use of Hemi-Sync can help train the brain to stay in a relaxed state even during stressful situations. By promoting more balanced brainwave activity, it helps reduce the overall activation of the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the “fight or flight” response), leading to better stress management and more restful sleep.
In summary, Hemi-Sync works by guiding the brain into specific frequencies that encourage relaxation, calm the nervous system, and promote deeper, more restorative sleep.
