"Pink Noise" for Your Memory AND Your Sleep?
Keeping hope alive for all those insomniacs out there -- we now have "pink noise"! It's a form a gentle and stimulating sound that synchronizes with the natural rhythms of the brain (slow wave) to help you enter deeper sleep. Research shows that we need this deep sleep stage for memory consolidation.
How are Memory and Sleep Related?
Bonnie Rubin from the Wall Street Journal points out that "Many studies have made the connection between sleep and memory consolidation -- the brain’s ability to cement short-term memories into longer-term ones, so they can be recalled the next day." Pink noise presents an experimental technology that enhances sleep and could present a breakthrough for people suffering with memory loss.
According to a study at Northwestern, "Gentle sound stimulation -- such as the rush of a waterfall -- synchronized to the rhythm of brain waves significantly enhanced deep sleep in older adults and improved their ability to recall words."
Introduce - Pink Noise
Pink noise is a mix of high and low frequencies that are audible to humans, but with a boost of the lower frequency range.
I want it!
Journalist Amanda MacMillan at Time magazine found the answer we all want to know -- how can we get it?
Northwestern has a patent pending on the new technology, and one of the study authors has cofounded a company that plans to market it commercially. But first...larger and longer studies are needed to confirm the findings and show that there are benefits to long-term use... The researchers hope to develop an affordable device that people can use at home.
Bring on the soothing pink background noise.
Try it Out
The research will be ongoing. There will be more testing on different age groups over a longer period of time and it will include groups with cognitive impairment.
In the meantime, try a sample yourself -- we found this website offering a free background pink noise generator. Let us know if it works!
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