Many parents swear by the power of lullabies. There just seem to be certain songs that help soothe babies and send them to dreamland. For adults with sleep problems, it's not so easy. Or is it? The perfect lullaby may really exist.

When it comes to music, most people know what they like to hear, and from radios to iPods, it's fairly easy to get the tunes you want. Now some doctors are suggesting that our brains may be craving melodies we won't find just anywhere. It's a kind of music therapy based on your own brain waves. These internal tunes may be powerful enough to treat everything from insomnia to headaches.

"I have an incredible deep sleep, and there are times I have woken up and thought like, What day is today?" said Audrey Stillerman, brain music patient.
Audrey is listening to music.

Chicago doctor David Moore began offering brain musical therapy to his patients 6 months ago after learning about the technique from Galina Mindlin, M.D. Ph.d. From the Brain Music Therapy Center in New York City. He also reviewed research from Canada. It showed patients who underwent this therapy for four weeks had fewer symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. And since it was introduced in the US in 2005, doctors like Moore are also finding it also works for other disorders such as migraines, chronic pain and ADHD.

"What we are doing is creating music that's actually creating a pattern in your brain that reflects what your brain does when it become relaxed or when it becomes focused," Dr. Moore said.

So how do you get your internal tunes? First the head is wired for sound then everything is hooked up to an EEG which records the brain's electrical activity.
For about 5 minutes the patient sits back as the recording takes place. The data is then sent to special lab in Moscow where the brain wave frequencies are converted into music using a mathematical formula. The person then gets a CD with his or her own piano "brain music," considered as unique as their fingerprint. The idea is that when your brain hears its own music it will recognize and respond to the mood altering notes.

There are two different songs: one to help you relax or calm down, the other to help you get going when you need energizing.

Audrey has a hectic schedule balancing her home life along with a career as a family physician. As a medical doctor, Audrey believes in science-based medicine. She felt there was enough evidence to give this natural remedy a try. She has been dong it now for almost 3 months.

Audrey knows her brain music will never make the Billboard top 10 but says at least it works for her brain, and she is all but guaranteed a good night's rest.

"I'm calmer during the day, and if things happen that should be irritating, I'm much better able to handle them," Audrey said.

This whole concept may seem out there, but doctors say it is really just another form of biofeedback that has been around for a long time. While there is evidence to back the claims that music therapy improves sleep, the other added benefits, such as help for migraine ,chronic pain and ADHD, have not been scientifically validated.

The cost for your own private label brain music is about $550 and is typically not covered by insurance.

David Moore, DO
3000 N. Halsted St.
Suite 506
Chicago, IL 60657
773-327-3238
davidmooredo@aol.com
www.brainmusictreatment.com