Binaural Beat Theta and its Impact on Primary Insomniacs: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Primary insomnia is a complaint of inadequate or non restorative sleep with difficulties in initiating and maintaining early morning sleep and wakefulness, without significant comorbid psychiatric disorder and physical illness. Until now, different treatments have been used for this disorder and with different results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of theta binaural beat to alter brain wave activity in primary insomniacs.

This study was a clinical trial with experimental group receiving theta binaural beat, and control, receiving white noise. The population community consisted of all people with primary insomnia in Kermanshah. In this study, electroencephalography was used to record brain waves and insomnia severity index questionnaire to screen people with insomnia.

Theta binaural beat (in the experimental group) affected all brain lobes compared to pre-test (first block) in changing theta absolute power activity (P< 0.05). However, white noise was not affected in any of the brain lobes (P> 0.05). The theta binaural beat was higher in the temporal and parietal regions than in the other brain areas, whereas the prefrontal and posterior regions had the least significant change in the absolute power of the theta activity.

Theta binaural beat through entrainment can alter the pattern of brain waves in primary insomniacs and may possibly influence information processing and relaxation when trying to fall asleep.