Binaural beats for sleep: what they are and how to try them

Some nights your body is tired but your mind keeps going. A podcast, rain sounds or a sleep playlist are common ways to help you drift off, and binaural beats have become one of the most searched options.

Here is what binaural beats are, what the research does and doesn't show, how to try them at bedtime, and how the Thrive Health Band and Sound Sessions in the Thrive by Optihealth app work together, so you can see whether they seem to help you.

What are binaural beats?

Binaural beats are a trick of hearing. You listen to two tones through headphones, one in each ear, set at slightly different pitches. Your brain doesn't hear two separate notes. It perceives a third, gentle pulsing beat at the difference between them.

For example, a tone of 300 hertz (Hz) in one ear and 310 Hz in the other creates a beat you perceive at 10 Hz. Because each ear needs its own tone, binaural beats only work with headphones or earbuds. Through a speaker, both ears hear both tones and the effect disappears.

Most tracks layer the beat under music, rain or other soft sounds, so you hear a soothing soundscape rather than a bare tone.

Why are they linked with sleep?

Your brain's electrical activity has rhythms that shift as you move from wide awake to drowsy to asleep. These are often grouped into bands:

• Beta (about 13 to 30 Hz): awake and focused
• Alpha (about 8 to 13 Hz): relaxed but awake
• Theta (about 4 to 8 Hz): drowsy, drifting off
• Delta (under 4 Hz): the slow rhythm of deep sleep

Binaural beats for sleep are usually set to a slow frequency, such as theta or delta. The idea, often called brainwave entrainment, is that the brain may follow that rhythm. As the research below shows, that hasn't been established.

What does the research say?

Honestly, it's mixed. A 2023 systematic review in PLOS ONE looked at 14 studies on whether binaural beats change brain activity. Five found results in line with the idea, eight did not, and one was mixed. The studies used very different methods, which makes them hard to compare.

Some small studies suggest binaural beats may help some people feel more relaxed or fall asleep a little more easily, while others find little difference. What we can say is that they are low effort and, at a sensible volume, gentle to try. If they help you feel more settled at bedtime, that can be worth having, even if the science is still being worked out.

It's also worth keeping in mind that part of the benefit may come from the routine itself: lights down, phone away, lying still and focusing on a sound for ten minutes. That wind-down habit supports sleep in its own right.

How to try binaural beats at bedtime

If you'd like to give them a go:

1. Use comfortable headphones or earbuds. Both ears need sound. Soft sleep headphones or low-profile earbuds are easier to lie on.
2. Keep the volume low. You should be able to hear the sound clearly without it filling your head. Loud audio through headphones night after night isn't kind to your hearing.
3. Start with a short session. Ten to fifteen minutes as you settle into bed is plenty to see how you feel.
4. Pick a slower track for sleep. Pick a gentle, slow soundscape for bedtime and save the livelier ones for daytime.
5. Pair it with your wind-down. Dim the lights, set your phone face down once the session starts, and try some slow breathing.
6. Give it a couple of weeks. One night won't tell you much. A steady habit gives you a fairer test.

Only listen when you can fully relax. Never use binaural beats while driving or doing anything that needs your attention.

Binaural beats in the Thrive app

In the Thrive by Optihealth app, Sound Sessions sit under Sound and Breathing. There are nine sessions that layer subtle binaural patterns under immersive soundscapes, including Midnight Island and Rainfall Calm. You choose a session length of 5, 10 or 15 minutes, or play every session in order, and each one fades out gently at the end rather than stopping suddenly. The app suggests headphones the first time you start a session, and Guided Breathing is a tap away if you'd like to combine the two.

Thrive's binaural beats may help you fall asleep, and the Thrive Health Band lets you see what happens next. Wear it to bed and your sleep shows up in the morning: time asleep, how settled the night was, and your deep, light, REM and awake time. The Band has no screen, so it's comfortable overnight, and the battery lasts up to 14 days.

To test whether Sound Sessions seem to help you, tag nights you use one in your Daily Check-In (meditation is already in the list, or add your own factor), then ask Ask Thrive questions such as:

• "Do I fall asleep faster on nights I use a Sound Session?"
• "Is my sleep different on nights I tag meditation?"

Thrive learns what is usual for you right across your health, from sleep, heart rate, HRV and temperature to mood, stress, meals and more. So it can show whether nights with a session look different from your own normal, not someone else's. When an insight relates to stress or sleep, Thrive may also suggest trying a relaxation session.

If you'd like to share your sleep trends, Thrive Loops lets you share selected information with a participating trainer, health professional or someone you trust. You decide what to share and with whom, and you can change or revoke access at any time.

When to talk to your GP

Sounds and routines can help you wind down, but they aren't a fix for ongoing sleep trouble. If you've struggled to get to sleep or stay asleep most nights for a few weeks, or tiredness is affecting your days, book in with your GP. Thrive isn't a diagnosis, but your sleep trends and history are right there in the app, and Ask Thrive can help you see what has changed and when. For more ideas, see sleep hygiene basics.

Before you buy

You'll need a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Thrive app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play, in Australia and eight other countries. The app stores are only for downloading the app, though; they aren't where you buy the Band or a Plan. You can buy at thrivehealthband.com, or at a participating World Gym Australia location or health and wellness clinic.

The Thrive Health Band is A$660 for the first year under the launch offer. That includes the Band, which is yours to keep, and 12 months of the Thrive by Optihealth app, My Health on the web, Health Fingerprint, Ask Thrive, Thrive Loops and your data, paid once upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Free Australia-wide shipping during the launch offer (usually A$14.99).

Nothing renews automatically. After your first year, you can get a new band plus 12 more months for A$660, or keep your band and renew the Thrive Connected Plan for A$240 a year, or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

You're also covered by a 12-month Thrive Care Warranty, and consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

Do binaural beats work for sleep?

The research is mixed. They may help some people relax and drift off, while others notice little change. A couple of weeks of trying, and checking your sleep trends, is a fair way to find out for yourself.

Do I need headphones for binaural beats?

Yes. Each ear needs its own tone for your brain to perceive the beat. Without headphones you just hear the soundscape.

Are binaural beats safe?

At a low volume they are gentle to try. Keep the volume down and never listen while driving. If you have a hearing concern, ask your GP or audiologist first.

For more answers, see Questions.

Sources

• Ingendoh et al. 2023, PLOS ONE, Binaural beats to entrain the brain? A systematic review
• Sleep Foundation, Binaural beats

Thrive is intended to support general health, fitness and wellbeing. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. If you're concerned about your health, talk to a qualified health professional.