Insomnia. I'm not sure there's anything more frustrating.
The endless staring at the ceiling. That desperate waiting for slumber to finally kick in. The feeling of immense tiredness throughout the next day.
But such sleep problems may be a thing of the past, if the claims of a new scientific audio program are to be believed.
The Sleep Salon is a new audio program, designed to help eliminate sleeping problems by tapping into the power of the mind. It uses special sounds to help influence brainwave patterns, taking the brain from being wide awake and lulling it gently into a deep, relaxing sleep.
The program comes from the creators of the Brain Evolution System and the Brain Salon, and is supposed to be based on over 100 years of brainwave research.
The science is pretty simple. Your brain emits a mild electrical frequency, which can be measured using an EEG machine. They call these 'brainwaves', and different brainwave frequencies mean that you're in different states of mind. So, as you're reading this, you're likely consciously alert and attentive, and so your brainwaves should be operating in the Beta (12-30 Hz) frequency. However when you're asleep, brainwaves dip down to the Delta (0.1-4 Hz) frequency. And yes, this is all common knowledge in the science world.
The Sleep Salon taps into this, by capitalizing on a physics phenomenon known as "entrainment." When you strike one tuning fork and hold another next to it, the second starts resonating at the same frequency. It's the same with the brain: when exposed to a certain frequency, the brain 'copies' that frequency. The sessions inside the Sleep Salon all contain special 'encoded' frequencies. When the brain 'hears' these frequencies, it copies them -- taking your brain down from the wide-awake Beta frequency down to deep-sleep Delta.
To put it even simpler: listen to these simple MP3 audio files -- and you'll fall asleep.
The science is all explained simply on the company's website. It's no-frills approach to marketing is refreshing. Simple and stylish, without clutter and excess fluff.
But does this all really work? I decided to try it out.
On placing my order, I received my download links pretty much instantly -- and got to work exploring the contents.
The program came with a 40+ page user manual, and 12 individual MP3 audio sessions, which made up the entire Sleep Salon collection.
The first thing that strikes you with this program is how genuinely comprehensive it is. Many similar programs have a "one size suits all" approach when it comes to brainwave entrainment. I know, because I've tried many of them in the past. You listen to a single audio MP3 and it's supposed to help you fall asleep. But life isn't like that, and while such sessions may work for many that use them, the rest require a more personalized prescription.
The Sleep Salon contains sessions that aim to appeal beyond the mass market . Certainly, there are sessions in there for handling occasional sleeplessness. But you'll also find sessions for getting to sleep when you have chronic insomnia, a slow wave disorder (such as depression), or for deep healing sleep when you have chronic pain. Most programs don't even consider these more niche markets. There are also programs for overcoming caffeine addiction, handling body-clock issues, and getting over stress-related sleep problems. (The almost 'plain' website doesn't make it clear the program is so comprehensive.)
To get started, just read through the guide, identify what kind of sleep issues you have, then listen to the right session. It seemed simple. So I decide to give it a go.
For ease, I start with the most basic session of them all -- the 'Sleep Induction with Night Sounds' MP3. It apparently lasts for 50 minutes, although I didn't make it that far. I remember hitting the 'play' button, and then relaxing to the etheric, deep space-like noises (mixed with chirping crickets) as it played out on my bedside iPhone dock. Surprisingly, I dozed off within minutes. I woke up naturally almopt 8 hours later, a true miracle for someone like myself, typically tortured with just four hours sleep a night, maximum.
As insomnia reaches epidemic levels in the United States, the negative effects are now becoming more well-known. Irritability. Reduced mental functioning. Hallucinations. Weakened immune system. Risk of diabetes and heart disease. Growth suppression. Obesity. And the list goes on.
But the positives of high quality sleep are exactly the opposite: you feel mentally more alert, you enjoy a stronger immune system, you are generally happier and less stressed, you enjoy more energy, and you notice a marked improvement in memory and reasoning.
And all of these things were happening for me the next day. The improvement was profound. When the company claimed the Sleep Salon will help you to "change your life, overnight" -- I never took the statement so literally. Ever the scientist, however, I continued the experiment.
There are multiple sessions with the Sleep Salon, and not just for helping you get to sleep. You'll find a huge 8 individual sleep induction sessions. But you'll also find sessions for relaxation, sleep training, and even (ironically) 'wake up' sessions. The theory is that if you can stay more awake during the day, you'll feel more asleep when you're ready to sleep.
Over the coming week, I tried pretty much every session in the entire Sleep Salon range. The 'Hypnotic Sleep Induction' session was beautiful to listen to, with its 3D-voice sounds effects and beautiful background music. The 'Wake Up with Classical Music' became my alarm clock MP3, a great way to kick-start the day with the added benefit of brainwave entrainment. The 'Stress & Anxiety Reduction' session was used multiple times over the week that followed, and provided a great way to relax into an afternoon, and put your mind into a gentle, focused state.
But perhaps one of the most powerful sessions of all for me was the 'All Night Sleep Loop.' Just burn this session to a CD, or play the MP3 on your iPhone, and put it on repeat as you drift off to sleep. This expertly timed, 90-minute session plays the frequency patterns of high-quality, deep, restorative sleep cycles -- and your brain naturally follows. The result is that your mind sticks to its natural frequency cycles while you sleep, allowing you to enjoy a deep and profound rest. And if you're one for waking up throughout the course of a night for a toilet break (as I unfortunately do these days!), it'll quickly lull you straight back to sleep the moment you return to bed.
The science that makes the Sleep Salon work is simply astounding. The guide explains it all much simpler than anything I've ever read before, introduces each individual session, then provides 'prescriptions' depending on what kind of sleep issues you're having. And for those that aren't so interested in the how-and-why, there's a one-page 'quick start' guide at the front, so you can begin pretty much straight away.
I'll be honest with you. Over the years, I've tried everything to overcome my sleeping problems. I've experimented with dozens of similar "brainwave" programs. I've taken melatonin on a near-nightly basis. I found myself at different times addicted to Nytol and Zopiclone.
For me, there's pretty much no doubt about it. Quite simply, nothing has given the same results as I've found with the Sleep Salon.
If you suffer from any kind of sleeping issues -- from occasional sleeplessness to chronic insomnia -- then I urge you to try out the Sleep Salon for yourself. You can do so risk-free, too: every copy comes with a full, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
And, for once, I'm pleased to announce that this is one refund I absolutely won't be asking for.
Pros: Incredibly powerful, simple to use, and actually works!
Cons: Downloads only (no audio CD version), no telephone support.
Buy the 'Sleep Salon' for $37 online at:
http://goo.gl/uSvzq
