Frequently Asked Questions about Binaural Beats

What are binaural beats and how do they work?

This amazing page explains it all!

Are binaural beats addictive?

Nope! Binaural beats aren't chemicals, so your body can't create a dependency.

I don't hear anything when I listen to your binaural beat tracks.

Headphones are required! You can't get the binaural effect any other way.

What if I use really-good speakers?

Then you'll be hearing an acoustic beat, not a binaural beat. 🙂 Learn more here.

How loud should my headphones be?

As low as possible — just loud enough to clearly hear both tones and the pulsating or wobbling sound. Turning it up any louder won't affect your brainwaves any faster, or in a more powerful way.

Why do I seem to hear tones after a binaural beat track is over?

I actually get this too, and it usually goes away after a minute. It's kind of the same thing as staring at a bright picture for a minute, then looking away. The nerves are still active. Keeping the volume low will reduce this.

How do I use the sleep tracks? Should I listen and then go to bed? Or play them at the same time?

Play the track, close your eyes and go to sleep! Here's a diagram for ya… 🙂

I'm listening to your sleep tracks. These binaural beats are giving me a headache!

If you've never tried binaural beats before, they can be a bit of a workout for your brain — kind of like going to the gym and starting with the heaviest possible weight. I would definitely suggest starting with my "gentle" sleep cycle; the "advanced" is only intended for people who've been using binaural beats for at least 6 months.

I'm listening to your sleep tracks. These binaural beats are giving me nightmares!

Everybody has their own unique experience of binaural beats, as no two brains are exactly alike. Some people experience "upheaval" in the form of old memories, emotions, anxiety, etc. Just like with traditional meditation, the trick is not to judge or get wrapped up in it. It's just noise — it will fade over time. As mentioned above, definitely start with the "gentle" sleep track.

It seems even the gentle/beginner track is too powerful, I'm still getting headaches and nightmares. Any suggestions?

It happens! Start by using the "power nap" track for 2 weeks until your brain gets more accustomed to hearing binaural beats.

Are binaural beats safe for children?

I personally wouldn't recommend binaural beats for children, simply because I don't know enough about how they affect sensitive young (still-developing) brains over the long-term. Studies may exist, though I haven't gone looking. I would, however, strongly recommend doing mindfulness exercises a few times per day.

I have partial hearing loss in one ear. Any suggestions?

When it comes to partial hearing loss, my only suggestion would be to use some kind of mixer that shifts the balance more towards the affected ear, so the volume appears to be the same in both ears. Be careful NOT to increase the volume in BOTH ears, as you don't want to go deaf in your good ear!

I'm completely deaf in one ear. Any suggestions?

I'm sorry to say that binaural beats are not for you!

I seem to have the pulsating/wobbling sound coming out of each earphone separately (when I only listen to the right one or the left one).

Be sure to DISABLE any filters on your device (DTS, surround enhancers, bass boost, etc) as they will interfere with proper audio playback.

I'm still not sure my iPhone is playing the audio correctly.

Go to Settings > Accessibility and make sure Mono Audio is turned off!

How do you create your binaural beat tracks?

I create all my binaural beat tracks using Adobe After Effects. If you aren't a huge nerd, it's a pretty difficult program to use … and it's definitely not free. 🙂

If you'd like to experiment with the different frequencies, there are lots of mobile apps such as "Brain Waves" (Android) that will let you do this.

Aside from using binaural beats, do you have any suggestions for people suffering from insomnia?

I had insomnia for years. Here are some pro tips (things that worked for me):

2 hours before bed:

• stop stimulation — no work, no games, no studying, etc.
• put all your screens on night mode (even better, turn them off entirely)
• lower the lights in your home; if you're using LED light bulbs (especially bright white ones) turn them off
• do some light exercise, stretching or go for a walk
• do some journaling, brain dump whatever you worked on today, so you aren't "thinking of stuff" while you're trying to sleep!