The terms ‘relaxation’ and ‘stress management’ have never meant as much as they do today. The world moves at an almost breakneck pace, thanks in large part to technology the rapid exchange of information. For many companies remaining competitive in this environment usually means getting things done quickly. This eventually takes a toll on its human resources although this is usually not immediately apparent.
What is biofeedback?
There are many meanings and definitions assigned to biofeedback. It is important first of all to know that it is not a healing process in the true sense of the word. It is in fact a way of teaching people how to treat themselves by reading bodily signals. This is done by using blood pressure monitors, scales, thermometers and other such equipment and tools. Having access to this information is said to give the patient more control of their functions. In short, it gives an individual control over his or her body.
Biofeedback techniques have been utilized quite effectively with stroke victims as well as in helping people to relax and to sleep. Today, biofeedback is also use to treat an ever-increasing list of ailments including high and low blood pressure, epilepsy, and migraine.
Persons undergoing biofeedback treatment are hooked to one of a number of different biofeedback machines. These machines track the body’s response to various stimuli and alert the person by emitting a sound or light. This works to get the patient to control their emotions such as stressful thinking and get back into a relaxing mood.
Biofeedback for Relaxation & Sleep
Quite often, people don’t realize that they are stressed. One of the positives of using biofeedback in eliminating stress is that it shows clearly the effectiveness of stress reducing techniques. More importantly it can measure a person’s stress levels leaving no doubt about what needs to be done.
Typically, when measuring stress, information is gathered on the skin’s electrical conductance, also known as electrodermal activity (EDA). This occurs due to sweating, which increases as your stress levels rise. A biofeedback device which measures electrodermal activity is attached to a part of the body, usually the finger. Any change in activity causes the device to emit a tone, allowing the wearer to make the necessary adjustments.
How Does Biofeedback Help Sleep Disorders
This area is a bit more complicated, given the number of sleep disorders. However there is much evidence to suggest that the use of biofeedback can be helpful to people who have trouble getting the restful sleep they need. Successful clinical tests demonstrate that Electroencephalography (EEG) biofeedback training can help persons with sleep disorders of varying causes.
EEG measures the electrical activity in the brain. Conditions such as depression, anxiety and epilepsy all have a measurable impact on the brain’s electrical activity. Usually patients suffering from one or more of these conditions complain about the quality of their sleep. This is where the first signs of improvement usually manifest themselves after EEG biofeedback treatment. This usually involves placing electrodes on the head, which can be anywhere from a few up to hundreds, which then records the brain activity for later use.
What biofeedback does to enhance sleep quality is to utilize various relaxation techniques to lull the person to sleep. There are in fact different types of biofeedback relaxation techniques used to induce sleep. Persons are given signals as to what factors or situations make them stressed and prevent relaxation and sleep. Once they identify these factors they are taught how to develop techniques to minimize their effects.
So popular is this alternative to sleep medication that even medical doctors are recommending it to patients to deal with insomnia and other sleep disturbances. Many people experiencing diminished sleep quality are also wary of becoming dependent on sleep aids. Aside from the potential side effects, there have been cases of people using prescription sleep medication who experience drowsiness during normal daytime activities. With biofeedback techniques, the drug component, and any associated risks are eliminated. Also, they can resume normal daytime activities such as driving without fear, after a night of restful sleep.
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