Heart Rate Variability Coherence Training Systems

In 2023, the market for home neurofeedback systems has experienced an unprecedented boom thanks to the latest advancements in the industry. Over the past five years, a fresh wave of headbands and smartphone devices designed for direct-to-consumer use have been introduced. While this surge in options is a positive development, it also presents challenges. The lack of regulatory oversight for the term "neurofeedback" has resulted in a broad range of products with varying capabilities and purported benefits being marketed under that label. These systems run the gamut from professional EEG-based equipment adapted for home use to low-cost headbands that require minimal computing power, and prices can vary widely from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. Given this maze of options, it can be difficult for consumers to sort through the information. This article aims to clarify the distinctions between different systems, the scientific principles behind them, and the expected outcomes.

It is scientifically proven that practicing gratitude can improve our immune, heart and brain health, and significantly elevate mood and lower our stress. If done as a regular practice until it becomes a habit, gratitude can radically shift our well-being, sense of purpose and the health of our relationships.  And it costs nothing but our intention and time!    When we think of gratitude, we might be reminded of a specific activity such as “random acts of kindness” or the holiday season. But what’s great about gratitude is that it can be practiced whenever we like. When we exercise gratitude, we not only give to others, but give back to ourselves.

In my 20 years of helping clients with sleep I have observed that the #1 reason people have poor sleep is that they do not see it as a practice that has to be done well and protected as we age. Why Do We Have Sleep Issues? If we don't floss and brush our teeth and the dentist tells us we have four cavities we immediately understand why.  Somehow with poor sleep, we do not make the connection with our sleep-inhibiting habits such as: 4 PM coffee, eating late and drinking alcohol before bed, little or no exercise watching a heart-pumping drama at night, thinking about work or problems as we try to fall asleep.   For those of us who know that they need to make changes, the #2 reason people chronically have poor sleep is that they don't give the new practices to improve sleep enough time and abandon their efforts too soon.

Why and when did you decide to try NeurOptimal® neurofeedback? I purchased a NeurOptimal® system in 2019 while experiencing a particularly tough and demanding time in my life. I was experiencing burnout and looking for ways to manage stress naturally and improve my brain's functioning. Like everyone, I started googling what I could do to help myself and that's when I came across neurofeedback.

Before we talk about what you'll experience from doing neurofeedback we need to step back and talk about what is happening in the brain that neurofeedback addresses.  The brain is a machine of habit, and it creates automatic brainwave patterns and those patterns are meant to be solutions to our here-and-now problems.  We have homework in front of us, need that focusing brainwaves pattern.  When those patterns are not in alignment with our present needs we call them  "symptoms" or "problems", such as feeling anxious or being scatter-brained.  Even if these patterns are maladaptive, the brain tends to repeat them and requires a nudge to change. In order for new patterns to be created, old ones must first be disrupted. This is where neurofeedback comes in.