Sleep is essential to our wellbeing, but it’s not always well understood. We often think of falling asleep as a single moment, like flicking a switch. In fact, finding your way to deep, healing sleep is more of a steady process.
Endel’s Sleep soundscape is the ultimate tool to help you navigate this process. As with all Endel soundscapes, Sleep changes and adapts to your environment, meaning you’ll hear something different every time. But it’s structured in a series of phases, suggested by modern sleep science to guide you to a restful slumber. Read on to find out more about these phases, co-developed with Dr. Roy Raymann from SleepScore labs, Endel’s scientific partner.
First, though, you should make sure that the setting is right. It's dark outside and the room is a comfortable temperature. The day’s worries are left behind and your devices are set to Do Not Disturb. Start Endel Sleep roughly 30 minutes before you want to sleep. And get ready for drift-off.
(Note: Endel’s Sleep soundscape is intended for nighttime sleep! If you need a refreshing midday siesta, we recommend using the Power Nap scenario.)
Phase 1 (Intro): Audio entrainment
It all starts with the sound of a bell ringing softly. Every time you start your Sleep soundscape, this first sound will be the same. The process here is known as audio entrainment. This involves sending a ‘go to bed’ signal to your brain by playing it an identical sound every night. In fact, the ringing bell is the only sound in Endel that’s always the same! Ideally, it should also be heard at around the same time each night. After you have trained your brain on this sound trigger for about a week, your body will take the hint and start slowing down as soon as you activate the Sleep soundscape.
Phase 2: Nature sounds
As the bell rings, nature sounds gradually emerge, beginning the “closed-eyes” phase of Sleep onset. Doze off to the rise and fall of a calming ocean, with additional generative effects in the background. This phase aims to prepare the body for sleep – the wave frequency is designed to resemble a sleeping person's typical breathing pattern. Try to breathe with the waves, and you’ll sleep soundly through the night.
Phase 3: Colored noises
If you're still awake at this point, you'll notice how the waves begin to merge into the gentle rushing sound of pink noise. This means you're slipping into the third phase of Sleep onset. Pink noise is an acoustic sleeping pill. Thanks to its frequency spectrum, it’s perfect for masking unwanted outside sounds, while also being pleasant on the ears – all the more so thanks to some extra tweaks by Endel's sound designers. Sleep studies show that pink noise helps listeners fall asleep 20% faster. For those with sleep disorders, the improvement is as much as 38%! This third phase switches the brain into its own “Sleep mode.”
Outro: Sleep soundscape
According to Dr. Roy Raymann, the average person falls asleep in 45 minutes at most. So, after 45 minutes has passed, the Sleep soundscape slips into its final phase to see you through the night. The change is seamless: in the unlikely event that you’re still awake, we doubt you’ll notice it. In this final phase, the soundscape is designed to modulate the brain’s delta waves, ensuring you a deep, healing sleep right through till morning.
Want to learn more about getting better sleep? Read our Sleep Improvement Plan