How did you sleep last night? How do you feel today? It’s interesting how those two things are so connected.
There has been a substantial amount of evidence supporting the restorative role of sleep. Proper sleep has been shown to not only improve cognition and memory but also play a role in removing metabolites from the brain (Protective against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Dementia and Parkinson’s disease).
As a person transitions from being awake to falling asleep, alpha brainwaves are replaced by theta brainwaves. Sleep spindles and K-complexes appear in stage 2 sleep. Stage 3 and stage 4 is characterized by delta waves (slow waves).
The brain cycles through the various stages of sleep several times during the duration of sleep, hence sleeping through the night without disruption plays a pivotal role.
Neurofeedback works to modify the brainwave patterns in specific parts of the brain which influences the underlying neural networks associated with those particular areas. With sleep disorders, neurofeedback trains the brain by organizing and stabilizing neural networks as they move through the various stages of sleep. This helps the brain calm the persistent thoughts that keep one from falling asleep. Neurofeedback also helps establish natural sleep rhythms by training the brain to control it’s flexibility as it transitions through the stages of sleep.
As a result of strengthening the transition states during sleep, one of the first changes observed by clients is an improvement in their sleep pattern. Improving sleep patterns allows people not only to wake up faster but also to wake up alert and ready for the day. As the sleep pattern improves, teaching neural systems to improve their sensorimotor rhythm promotes calm and regulates hyperactivity allowing the brain to slip into sleep faster.
At many NUVISTA Mental Health locations, with the help of a thorough clinical history and a brainmap (QEEG) our team of experts design training protocols for your specific brain patterns. This optimizes the chances of success in treating insomnia without being dependent on medication.
