Sleep better with brainwave training

By Deluxe Sleep · Published on 28 July 2026

Sleep better with brainwave training

Good sleep is important so that we stay healthy and can function in everyday life. But getting enough sleep does not depend only on external factors: our body – or more precisely our brain and its brainwaves – is also a key sleep factor. That is because they determine our mood and whether we sleep well or badly. Sleep coach Luise Deiters knows why that is, and how brainwave training can help us sleep better.

"We can influence our brainwaves and thereby improve our sleep." Luise Deiters, sleep coach

What exactly are brainwaves?

Sleep coach and psychologist Luise Deiters of AEH – Corporate Health Experts knows the answer to this question. "Our brain is constantly active, whether we are awake or asleep," she begins. Anyone who has ever been to a sleep lab knows that brain measurements are used there to make brainwaves and brain currents visible. And for good reason: they reveal a great deal about our sleep. Asked why that is, Luise Deiters answers: "To understand that, we first need to clarify what brainwaves actually are. Our brain has brain cells, also called neurons. They communicate with one another via electrical impulses and exchange information. The sum of this is what makes up brainwaves. The dominance of the different wave types corresponds to different mental and sleep states." Through measurements, researchers can tell whether people have certain brain areas that are over- or understimulated. Overstimulation in certain brain areas can lead to anxiety disorders, sleep problems, nightmares, impulsive behaviour, and so on – while understimulation, in turn, can lead to depression and attention disorders. Over- and understimulation can also occur at the same time (in ADHD, for example). The good news: with training, you can learn to influence your brainwaves and thereby improve your sleep.

Alpha, beta and delta – the type of brainwave determines our sleep quality

So which brainwaves need to be trained for us to sleep better? To understand that, we first need to take a look at the different types of waves and their function.

Delta waves

These are the slowest and "loudest" brainwaves. They are also generated in the deepest meditation and in dreamless sleep. Delta waves switch off outward awareness. Healing and regeneration are stimulated in this state, which is why deep, restful sleep is so important for the healing process.

Theta waves

These also occur during sleep and in deep meditation. In the theta state, our senses are shut off from the outside world and focus on signals that come from within. It is that twilight, transitional state that we normally only experience fleetingly when we wake up or drift off to sleep.

Alpha waves

These are generated during calmly flowing thoughts and in certain meditative states. Alpha is the "power of now," the experience of the present moment. Alpha is the brain's resting state. It promotes overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, the integration of mind and body, and learning.

Beta waves

Generated during our normal waking state. They are dominant above all when our attention is directed at cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is "fast" activity that occurs when we are awake and alert and occupied with problem-solving, judgment, decision-making or focused mental activity. In the beta state, a further distinction is also made between low and high frequency ranges. During mental overactivity, rumination and tension, the high beta frequencies dominate.

"Because of our fast-paced society, many people have forgotten how to relax." Luise Deiters, sleep coach

Improving sleep quality with brainwave training: here's how

The dominance of a particular brainwave type therefore corresponds to different states. Normally, our brain can glide automatically from one wave state to the next without us noticing. We spend most of the day in the beta range – and the night in the theta range. But because the beta range is geared towards cognitive, "fast" thinking – and we grow up in a stressful, fast-paced society – many people get stuck in the beta range, or even in the high-frequency beta range, and no longer manage to slow their brainwaves down and relax.

"This state is not only downright exhausting, it also means that many people can no longer wind down in the evening; overwrought, many of them run at full steam straight into a wall," explains Luise Deiters. For some, the theta range becomes difficult to reach naturally. Many of those affected then turn to medication or alcohol to force the sleep state to come faster.

But there is also a natural remedy: the brain, just like any other part of the body, can be trained.

You can influence your own sleep using the following methods:

Meditation, breathing technique and yoga

The goal of these well-known methods is deep relaxation, which allows a faster transition into the theta range. The more often these techniques are practised, the more easily you move from high beta waves into the alpha range and then into the theta wave range. These exercises usually involve deep, conscious breathing. This relaxes the muscles and lets the body release stress. Give yourself plenty of time and be patient.

The new methods: influencing heart coherence

Alongside classic approaches such as meditation and yoga, there are also exercises that promote heart coherence. This optimal synchronisation of the rhythms of heartbeat, breathing and blood pressure also influences brainwaves and leads to an increase in alpha waves. This can also reduce anxiety states and stressful situations. A typical exercise might last 5 minutes, for example, during which you take 30 breaths. The famous 3-6-5 method is particularly well suited here: 3 times a day, 5 minutes, with 6 breathing cycles per minute. Each cycle therefore consists of 5 seconds of inhaling and 5 seconds of exhaling. Practised especially on getting up, at bedtime and around midday, this exercise promotes relaxation and stress reduction.

New method: EFT, the "Emotional Freedom Technique"

"This method is admittedly rather new and not yet so well known, but studies have already been able to demonstrate its effectiveness for insomnia," Luise Deiters begins. The tapping exercise, also known as tapping acupressure, combines modern energy psychology with the meridian teachings of Chinese medicine. It is one of the newer psychological methods that can also be used to influence brainwaves. "I have found that many people prefer this technique to classic seated meditation, because you are actively occupied with tapping through the points and speaking sentences aloud." Here is how it works: while you think of, or say aloud, a distressing event or feeling, you use your index and middle fingers to tap through the 9 EFT meridian points on the body. This form of self-help can be carried out at home. Introductions to it can be learned in courses, on YouTube or in specialist literature. Tapping meditation has three major positive effects on our sleep. First: the blockages created by distressing events during the day are released. Second: the mind and its spiralling thoughts are brought to rest. Third: stress hormones such as cortisol – which reduces the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone – are reduced, and anxiety and tension are relieved.

A sleep lab at home

Whichever method appeals to you more, until recently you could only measure its influence on the brain in medical laboratories. Recently, you have been able to do this easily and conveniently from home.

The advantage: you see directly how every kind of exercise affects the brain, and can optimise your training accordingly.

And here is how it works: a sensor is placed on the surface of the head and measures the brainwaves. The measured brainwaves then appear on a screen. This lets you observe which exercise causes the brainwave ranges to shift. Such measuring devices can be bought, for example, from Focus Calm. If you would like advice on a suitable bed system for restful sleep, you are welcome to visit us in our showroom in Bischofszell.

Source: this article is based on a piece from the BICO sleep blog (bico.ch). The assessments mentioned in it come from sleep coach Luise Deiters (AEH – Corporate Health Experts).