Theta: A Wake Up Call

a wake up call

introduction

Every night of our lives - our brain dims our consciousness. For a while, we become almost entirely paralyzed. Our eyes, dart about behind closed lids as if seeing, and the tiny muscles in our middle ear, even in silence, move as though hearing.1 We sometimes believe we can fly. We approach the frontiers of death.

We sleep.

Around 350 B.C., Aristotle wrote, “On Sleep and Sleeplessness,� wondering what we were doing. For the next 2,300 years no one had a good answer. In 1924 German psychiatrist Hans Berger invented the electroencephalograph (EEG), which records electrical activity in the brain - and the study of sleep shifted from philosophy to science.

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National Geographic: The Science of Sleep

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awareness

Everything we’ve learned about sleep has emphasized its importance to our mental and physical health. Our sleep-wake pattern is a central feature of human biology - an adaptation to life on a spinning planet, with its endless wheel of day and night.

When this circadian rhythm breaks down, recent research has shown, we are at increased risk for illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.2

The 2017 Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to three scientists who, in the 1980s and 1990s, identified the molecular clock inside our cells that keeps us in sync with the sun.

Medic, Goran et al.: Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption

Photograph by Magnus Wennman

Photograph by Magnus Wennman

Not a homeless shelter—at the Philharmonie de Paris, couples sleep soundly while composer Max Richter leads a performance of Sleep, a minimalist, scientifically informed piece that aims to guide listeners through a rejuvenating rest. It lasts eight hours.

sleep deprivation

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 80 million American adults are chronically sleep deprived, meaning they sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours a night.

During our lifetimes, about a third of us will suffer from at least one diagnosable sleep disorder.6 They range from chronic insomnia to sleep apnea to restless leg syndrome to much rarer and stranger conditions.

Fatigue contributes to more than a million auto accidents each year,3 as well as to a significant number of medical errors.4 Even small adjustments in sleep can be problematic. The Monday after a daylight saving time change in the U.S., there’s a 24 percent increase in heart attacks, compared with other Mondays, and a jump in fatal car crashes too.5

If sleep is such a natural phenomenon, refined across the eons, why do so many of us have such trouble with it?

Insomnia is by far the most common problem, the main reason 4 percent of U.S. adults take sleeping pills in any given month. Insomniacs generally take longer to fall asleep, wake up for prolonged periods during the night, or both.7 3

Gottlieb, Daniel J et al.: Sleep deficiency and motor vehicle crash risk in the general population 4 Frontiers in neurology: Sleep loss in resident physicians - the cause of medical errors?

5 Sandhu A, et al.: Daylight savings time and myocardial infarction 6 Bhaskar, Swapna et al.: Prevalence of chronic insomnia in adult patients 7 American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Insomnia - definition, prevalence, and consequences

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a global epidemic An imbalance between lifestyle and sun cycle has become a global epidemic.

The average American today sleeps less than seven hours a night, about two hours less than a century ago.7 This is chiefly due to the proliferation of electric lights, followed by televisions, computers, and smartphones.

A full night’s sleep now feels as rare as a handwritten letter. We all seem to cut corners, fighting insomnia through sleeping pills, coffee to slap away yawns, ignoring the journey we’re designed to take each evening.

In our floodlit society, we think of sleep as an adversary, depriving us of productivity and play. Thomas Edison, who gave us light bulbs, said that “sleep is an absurdity, a bad habit.”8 He believed we’d eventually dispense with it entirely.

Watson, Nathaniel F et al.: Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult TEDGlobal: The neuroscience of sleep

Delhi India

Mumbai India

To get a clear view of how humans are changing the night sky, NASA created composite satellite images of the entire Earth at night. Scientists filter out all natural emitters and absorbers of light, such as fires, clouds, and snow and ice. The results provide us with a picture of our relentless drive to light up the night.

Seoul South Korea

Tokyo Japan Shanghai China

Hong Kong China

Bangkok Thailand

alarming effects The first segment of the brain that begins to fizzle when we don’t get enough sleep is the prefrontal cortex, the cradle of decision-making and problem-solving.9 Explaining why underslept people are more irritable, moody, and irrational.

Anyone who regularly sleeps less than six hours a night also has an elevated risk of depression, psychosis, and stroke.10

Lack of sleep is also directly tied to obesity - without enough sleep, the stomach and other organs overproduce ghrelin, the hunger hormone, causing us to eat more than we need.11 It’s clear - sleeplessness undermines the whole body.

It’s been shown that sleep-deprived suspects held by the police, will confess to anything in exchange for rest.12 9 10

Alhola, Paula and Päivi Polo-Kantola: Sleep deprivation - Impact on cognitive performance Reeve, Sarah et al.: Disrupting Sleep - The Effects of Sleep Loss on Psychotic Experiences 11 Beccuti, Guglielmo and Silvana Pannain.: Sleep and obesity 12 Frenda, Steven J et al.: Sleep deprivation and false confessions

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economic costs

Due to the adverse effects of insufficient sleep on health, wellbeing and productivity, the consequences of sleep deprivation have far-reaching and expensive economic consequences.

In a review of five OECD countries, the RAND Corporation found that the productivity losses from sleep deprivation hurts economies to the tune of $680 billion USD.13

Lack of sleep costs individual citizens, too. People who don’t get enough sleep or suffer from a sleep disorder are less productive at work, have more medical issues, and are more likely to get in an accident.

This weakens our national economy, sends health care costs through the roof, and endangers the rest of society (from poor decision making and lack of focus that lead to accidents).

Chronic sleep loss from increased work demands, night shifts, and sleep disorders results in hundreds of billions of dollars a year in healthcare costs, doctor visits, prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

In the U.S. alone, RAND estimates that sleep deprivation adds up to 1.2 million working days and $411 billion lost each year.

RAND Corporation: Why sleep matters - the economic costs of insufficient sleep

A modern bedtime ritual for some - the stimulation may drive off sleep, but so does the backlit screen. Light at night inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate our daily biological rhythms.

sleeping on the job

Imagine employees with improved reaction time, increased logical reasoning and better moods, who are less impulsive and have a greater tolerance for on-the-job frustration. Now, imagine employees who are sleeping on the job.

These employees are one and the same.

Napping on the job makes sense, both for employers and employees - unlike computers, humans function best with periods of activity interspersed with regular breaks.

Thinking of grabbing a cup of coffee in the middle of the afternoon? Try a nap.

A 2008 study showed that naps are better than caffeine when it comes to improving verbal memory, motor skills, and perceptual learning.14 Afternoon naps improved free recall memory compared to the caffeine group after both 20 minutes and seven hour intervals, while resulting in improved learning on physical tasks than caffeine.

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Mednick, Sara C et al.: Comparing the benefits of caffeine, naps and placebo on verbal, motor and perceptual memory

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the power nap

In our modern times - it’s a rare occurrence that we wake up feeling completely refreshed, without any temptation to hit the snooze button. We know that not getting enough sleep is harmful to our health, but that knowledge isn’t going to help us pass out at the optimal time every night.

Because of our natural circadian rhythms, we are at our most tired twice during any given 24-hour period. Usually the peak of sleepiness will hit mid afternoon - a natural “siesta” time.15

Researchers at the Universite Paris found that naps restored hormones and proteins involved in stress and immune function to normal levels. The study examined the a group of men between 25 and 32 - finding that the men’s norepinephrine (a stress hormone that increases heart rate) and interleukin-6 (a protein with antiviral properties) went back to normal after napping.

Goel, Namni et al.: Circadian rhythms, sleep deprivation, and human performance Lemos, Nathalia et al.: Naps can enhance the duration of declarative memories

From increased creativity and memory to decreased cortisol and adrenaline napping is a wonder.

Consider that, rather than powering through mindlessly, a 20 to 30 minute nap can reset our brain’s ability to hold and manipulate information - increasing our productivity by quite a bit.16

Will a nap solve the world’s problems?

“Sleep is the best meditation.”

- The Dalai Lama

opportunities

We now know more than ever about the importance of sleep, the impact it has on our health, and the benefits that a brief nap can provide to us.

Rapid advancements in science and technology have provided our society with the tools needed to shape behavior for a preferable future.

Yet - our methods to attain and optimize the ideal experience have remained in the dark.

What could be possible if we looked forward - and designed the ideal experience?

EEGs: rich biometric data

Our brain consists of billions of cells - with neurons densely interconnected via synapses. When thousands of neurons fire in sync - they generate an electrical field which is strong enough to spread through tissue, bone, and skull.

An EEG, is the physiological method of recording the electrical activity generated by the brain. Whenever your brain is in a certain state, the frequency patterns change, giving insight into cognitive processes.

theta waves: REM induction

Theta brain waves are present during deep meditation and light sleep, including the all-important REM dream state. Your mind’s most deep-seated programs are at Theta and it is where you experience vivid visualizations, great inspiration, profound creativity and exceptional insight.

It’s the mental state which you consciously create your reality. At this frequency, you are conscious of your surroundings however your body is in deep relaxation.

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theta

Employees are under more pressure than ever before thanks to modern life’s hectic pace. In a recent Gallup survey, 44% of employees reported feelings of burnout at work. Burnout impacts all industries - costing employers money in lost productivity, low engagement, increased errors and more safety incidents.

The theta eyemask creates a culture in which it is acceptable and encouraged to prioritize self-care, which can help prevent burnout from work, help manage stress, and boost feelings of self-worth and confidence.

Happy and healthy employees has proven to result in better productivity, lower healthcare costs, and less turnover.

Gallup: Employee Burnout study Society for Human Resource Management: Employers See Wellness Link to Productivity, Performance

theta

Sleeping on the job was previously frowned at by employers, but with the growing body of evidence tying poor sleep to poor health and productivity outcomes - employers must provide sleep-promoting initiatives. theta leverages technology to make scheduled breaks more efficient and productive.

Sleep should not be ignored as an essential factor influencing employee productivity. As we become more aware of the effects of sleep loss on employee health and the success of businesses theta fills the need to incorporate effective strategies to promote rest and sleep at work without any stigma to it.