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Why It WorksTo fall asleep you have to set yourself up for a relaxed state of mind. This is required in order to fall asleep, and the better you do this the better your chances are for a good nights rest and a pleasant tomorrow. People are different, and we all have individual behavior patterns for how to fall asleep, but they all share the same goal in how to get you to enter a relaxed pre-sleep state of mind. Sounds plays a very important part in priming your brain for this, and it is very likely that you are more receptive to one sound over another. So in order to guide you to the sound that is right for you, you should read below about the 3 basic concepts of Genes, Rhythm and Thought Redirection, but remember that they occasionally blend in to each other creating a combination that is very hard to resist... It's in your Genes
You are already prewired to take advantage of sounds for sleep and relaxation. Living in the modern world we tend to forget or ignore what the generations before us have done to shape our behavior. Certain reactions to certain events that we may not be fully aware of or have difficulties explaining make us react. Rain, as an example, has always prompted a kind of a timeout for people, causing a natural pause in work and everyday activities, giving us a reason to relax. When rain starts to fall, the sound of it falling on a window or a rooftop; indoors, warm and secure, the people around you and you yourself become subdued in various degrees, a yawn not far away. You are on the verge to enter pre-sleep mode. It just works that way, take advantage of it - it's in your genes. 
RhythmEver since you where a kid, rhythm has been a factor for you to be able to calm down and fall asleep - the gentle rocking in the arms of a parent, a soft patting on your head, the soothing melody in a lullaby - it's still in you, just waiting to be triggered again. All of our sounds emphasize rhythm but in somewhat different shapes; rain finds its rhythm in its natural irregularity, oceans and streams in their peaceful steadiness, train rides and our other mechanical sounds provides it with a mesmerizing, but gentle beat. The quality of our recordings contain the rhythm of the object, be it a falling water drop or a train wheel against the rail, it almost seems like a physical presence. Thought redirection
Thought blocking through thought redirection is a description of what helps you concentrate on something other than your everyday problems and struggles, blocking thoughts that will hinder you from entering a relaxed state of mind so crucial in making you fall asleep. This is something that kids use frequently and without any training, the adventure of going to bed, the feeling of security under that magical blanket that maybe makes them invisible, ready for a journey to places far, faraway. The mind drifts and sleep enters. Many adults have lost the ability to flex their imagination as vividly as kids do, and have difficulty redirecting those pesky issues that always seems to float to top of their mind when trying to fall asleep. Sounds can help in getting your mind occupied with pleasant thoughts, making you relax and maybe put a little color back into your dreams. 
The Golden CurveThe Golden Curve is, simply put, our way to make sure that you are able to fall asleep to our sounds and absolutely not wake up because of them. It can be described technically as how we define the substance and quality of sound over a period of time. In order to do this we utilize special recording techniques (see below) that results in a relaxing sound from start to finish that complements your sleeping experience. No surprises, just a calming progression with a natural variation. 
About RecordingsWe take great pride in our techniques for capturing the ultimate sounds for sleep and relaxation, but they are not always easy to get and very often they present a challenge in both time and endurance. Our sounds are recorded all over the globe, allowing us to choose the right environmental conditions which will yield those characteristics that hold true to the sound we are striving for. 
Napping SessionsTake Five whenever you need. Napping is important for good health but it is an art form and can be a very difficult one to master. The most difficulty can be found when trying to relax enough to fall asleep, which is enhanced by a worry that you won't wake up in time. With our Napping Sessions we have designed soundtracks based on our most popular sounds, in timed increments. You can choose from four lengths of time, and be woken up by a gradual and smooth alarm. A personal time zone of relaxation in balance with a pleasant awakening - all in time for that meeting. 
Tinnitus reliefAround 25% of the world's population suffers from tinnitus, while approximately 2% have cases so severe it interferes with daily life. There are no clinically proven cures as of today, but there have been studies done showing that sounds of water, for many patients, totally eliminates or drowns the Tinnitus to a high degree for fast relief. Sounds of rain or streaming water have been proven to be helpful for many. 
Sounds Vs The PillThere are people who have legitimate reasons for using pills to get to sleep, but these days many people use them just because they cannot get to sleep and don’t really consider the health concerns that pills can pose. Using sounds is a side effect-free alternative to pills, using a naturally occurring phenomenon to gently move you into the realm of dreams. Also, on an a positive note, sounds can also lead to a conditional reflex, meaning that when you hear that kind of sound it allows you to fall asleep more readily. 
Related readingWhat follows is a collection of articles that we have found that are interesting for those who want to read more about sleep. Along with the articles, we have provided a short summary of each article. The articles that follow are not directly related to us or our products, but can offer advise if you, a family member or a friend has difficulty resting, relaxing or falling to sleep. Humans from around the world believe dreams contain hidden truthsThis article describes a study performed where 149 college students from varying cultures were asked questions about... their interpretation of their dreams. Overwhelmingly, the students answered that they endorsed the theory that their dreams could reveal truths about themselves and the world that would otherwise have remained hidden. In a second study, which involved 270 men and women from the United States, people tended to ascribe more importance to pleasant dreams about people they liked opposed to a person they did not like. If the dream were unpleasant, they ascribed more importance if it were a person they disliked. Why sleep is important and what happens when you don't get enoughThe article deals with the importance of sleep and some factors involved in not being able to get to sleep. It brings up... working habits (such as differing times for shifts), strenuous activity before going to sleep (which includes mentally strenuous like working on paperwork as well as physically strenuous work like exercise), and just plain old stress (like if it's tax season or one of your family members is in the hospital). The article also brings up problems that can arise from not getting enough sleep, including inhibited decision making skills, decreased short-term memory and, in the most extreme cases, falling asleep at the wheel of your car. Sleep: a necessity, not a luxuryThis article deals with how important sleeping is to the overall health of an individual. It delves into why sleeplessness... can occur, from situational sleeplessness such as stress or depression to sleep disorders that keep you from sleeping like insomnia, sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Both situational sleeplessness and sleep disorders can bring with them health issues, like cardiovascular health effects specifically for people with sleep apnea or higher blood pressure and heart problems because of the body's reduced ability to regulate glucose. With the economy down, sleeplessness is upThis article explains that in economically troubling times people tend to sleep less dues to money troubles and the stress that... this can cause. However, it brings up that because of this loss of sleep, you are less efficient at your job, which can lead you to losing your job. The article also contains several statistics that are interesting to note, such as the percentage of Americans reporting sleep problems has increased by 13% since 2001. It concludes that because of these economic problems, it's more important to get enough sleep and exercise so that you can remain at the top of your game and keep your job. Anatomy may help identify sleep apneaThis article describes that a team at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea found that people... suffering from sleep apnea, where you stop breathing while asleep causing you to wake up, have soft palates on the roof of their mouths in the back of their throats. The team used sleep video fluoroscopy to find the cause behind the problem. They also found that when the patient was awake the soft palate elongated and the angle increased, which was not found in people who simply snored when they were asleep. Are you sleep deprived?This article brings up sleep deprivation and some of the ways you can tell if you are getting enough sleep at night. The two... questions that the author says that you should ask yourself to see if you are getting enough sleep are if you feel drowsy during the day and if you fall asleep within five minutes of lying down in bed. The author also says that hallmark of sleep deprivation is microsleep, which last only a few seconds and can be very difficult to notice or even remember. The author also says that caffeine and other stimulant drugs can only hold off sleep deprivation for so long. Eventually you will need to go to sleep. Sleep Hygiene RulesThis article, which is actually more of a list, deals with rules that you should apply to your bedroom to make it a better place to sleep... or at least make it more conducive to sleeping. It brings up all the normal things like don't work or watch TV where you are going to sleep. But, it also says things like you should sleep when you are feeling sleepy, and if you are unable to get to sleep within 25 minutes of lying down to sleep you should get up and go into another room until you do feel sleepy. Medical residents lack sleep, despite policy changeAccording to this article, medical residents are still working too many hours and not getting enough sleep, even after a policy was... passed to limit time on shift and hours worked per week. The statistics for exhaustion have decreased but still remain in dangerously high numbers. Federal law in the U.S. limits work hours for high-risk professionals like airline pilots and nuclear facility workers, but doctors have been left to monitor times for themselves. All about sleepThis article deals with sleep and how it should be administered or at least viewed in children from when they are first born to... their teen years. The article begins by explaining how much time a baby usually needs for sleep and reasons for why they might wake up. It proceeds through the ages as the child ages saying how much sleep the child may need, and provides tips on how to act if the two-year-old child begins crying in the middle of the night instead of a six-year-old. Sleep & WomenThis article is about women and how sleep loss affects them. Studies have shown that women tend to sleep more than men... going to sleep earlier than they do and staying asleep longer. However, women tend to wake up not feeling refreshed, even after a full nights rest. They also tend to sleep lighter than men do, which means that they are more likely to be woken up in the middle of the night. Additionally, working moms have to balance friends, family, work, and personal health, which can make stress a prominent factor in being unable to sleep. |
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