OPTIMIZING SLEEP

The Effect of Audio-Visual Stimulation on Sleep

Nicholas Corcoran
Platte County High School

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
2

My Why
Why is sleep important? Sleep is the basis for life as we know it. We require
sleep to function in our day-to-day life. Sleep is required for body repairs and mental
acuity. Insufficient sleep is a major problem of epidemic proportions for the American
people.
Research shows that insufficient sleep creates a domino-effect of problems. It
leads to slow learning, spotty memory, lowered reaction times, trouble concentrating,
and safety hazards. A good example of this is the construction business.If someone falls
asleep while operating an extremely heavy vehicle, they could easily kill someone. This
accidental killing could have been prevented by going to bed a little earlier. However,
not everyone has the option of going to be earlier.
Imagine you are a college student. You have a final tomorrow and although
youve been studying the material for a few weeks, you suddenly realize you havent
studied a very important part of the exam. Do you stay up the few extra hours or go to
bed and hope for the best? The next morning you wake up groggy and lagging. You are
barely able to get up and get ready for class. You go to your car and start the drive to
class, only to have your eyes drooping and you start to feel like driving is an impossible
task. Your eyes close for what seems like only a moment, and then youre thrown
forward because you just rear ended someone. Because you didnt get adequate sleep,
not only is your car totalled and youre going to have to pay insurance premiums
through the roof, you now have a back and neck problem caused by the crash.

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
3
Insufficient sleep creates a domino effect of problems until one of those problems
becomes YOUR problem.

My Beginning
This project started off as an idea amongst many. Why is sleep such a big
problem in America? Why is sleep such a problem amongst the world? Josh and I had
to come up with 40 ideas total. After shortening the list to the best six ideas, we chose
our sleep optimizer. While it was a good idea, we had no idea how many obstacles we
would run into. We simply didnt have the expertise required to complete this project on
our own. Three months were spent on research alone to ensure we wouldnt hurt
anyone with our device. Several months were then spent trying different ideas and
configurations to improve the base design, but we ended up sticking to the simplest
design to avoid overcomplication.
While it was a long road, we had some outside help from sleep specialists Eldon
Cook and Tom Weston. We learned much from our two hour talk at Midwest Sleep
Solutions. Josh and I were given EEG data to look over and were helped to understand
what each peak meant. Eldon Cook walked us through each page of data and showed
us the exact moments of sleep and how each peak and trough correlated to specific
stage of sleep.
Armed with the knowledge provided to us, we proceeded onward with the design
of our project. Josh and I knew what needed to change and how we would do it. We

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
4
added dual speakers in place of one, and altered the base circuit design to simplify it
and condense it.

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
5
My Research
The Effect of Light on Sleep
Introduction: Light enters our eye through the cornea, or the clear window of the
outside of our eyes. It then passes through our Iris and then the gel-like substance
known as our Vitreous. The information that is captured in the rods and cones of our
eyes is then transmitted to the brain to be interpreted.
Research shows that lights affect us in a variety of ways, one of these ways is the
stimulation of our central nervous system.
How does it affect us?: As stated above, light is interpreted by our brain. Our brain is
constantly processing information coming from our five senses; sight, hearing, touch,
smell, and taste. Light falls under the sight category. Now different light wavelengths
affect our brain in different ways. For example, light wavelengths that are between 460480 nm are predominantly blue. Wavelengths above 530 nm are a red/orange color.
Blue light has a very different effect than red light, as blue light raises central nervous
activity and red light reduces central nervous activity.
Usage: Right now light is most commonly used as a way to see our surroundings.
However, there are also medical uses for light. Welcome to the world of Light Therapy.
This is a relatively new form of therapy. It is used to treat a wide variety of skin
disorders, but now we use light to strike the retina of a patient to treat disorders
centered around misalignment of the circadian rhythm.
Factors of Light: Intensity, perceived intensity, and the color temperature. The peak of
luminosity function is at 555 nm, the color green. The eye is most sensitive to this
wavelength. The peak of the luminosity function is at 555 nm (green); the eye's imageforming visual system is more sensitive to light of this wavelength than any other. For
monochromatic light of this wavelength, the amount of illuminance for a given amount of
irradiance is maximum: 683.002 lux per W/m2; the irradiance needed to make one lux at
this wavelength is about 1.464 mW/m2. Other wavelengths of visible light produce fewer
lux per watt-per-meter-squared. The luminosity function falls to zero for wavelengths
outside the visible spectrum. -Lux wikipedia article

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
6
Safety & Concerns: Children and adults eyes filter light differently. If our product is to
be modeled on adults, we need to acknowledge the concern of children under the age
of 13. Too many lux concentrated on the eye is also unhealthy and could result in
cataracts from prolonged exposure. Re-Timer uses 506 lux on its highest setting, which
is about normal office/PC work, so we should also take that into account.

Brainwaves
Introduction: There are five different brain waves that affect us: Beta, Alpha,
Theta, Delta, and Gamma. Each wave represents a different range in frequency of brain
wave activity and has a specific purpose and effect on both our conscious and
subconscious minds.

What do they do?:

Beta: A brainwave state associated with high levels of focus and concentration. This is
when the brain is actively working and alert. The brainwave patterns that corresponds to this state of
consciousness is 12 Hz and above.

Alpha: While this state of neural firing is slower than Beta at around 8 Hz

12 Hz this is a state often targeted by brainwave entrainment software. The alpha

brainwave state is associated with a relaxed, reflective frame of mind and is also used for
problem solving and increased creativity.

Theta: Theta waves are much slower than beta wave and correspond with
states of mind that include meditation, release of stress, and lucid dreaming. At a
frequency of 4 Hz 8 Hz this is the most sought after brain state for mindfulness
meditation.

Delta: This is a brain state that is associated with deep dreamless sleep. The
slowest of the brainwave states at 1 Hz 4 Hz this state is possible to achieve while still
awake by some experienced meditators.

Gamma: Is a brainwave state not given much attention but it is thought to

correspond with a moment of insight or eureka moment. 40 Hz and above.

My Mentors and Network

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
7
We talked to a total of three (3) specialists. Two of which were from Midwest Sleep
Solutions. The third specialist is a computer engineer by the name of Brad Swaters.

Midwest Sleep Solutions

Eldon Cook- Eldon talked to us about our research and how to further it. He explained the
intricacies of sleep and how we could alter it. However, he also cautioned us against certain
alterations because they could damage the brain beyond repair.

Tom Weston- Tom was the specialist who walked us through EEG data of their patients to show
us what we were looking at. He interpreted the data for us and provided us some research papers
by different institutes over altering sleep. These proved to be invaluable resources because some
of the information contained inside proved to be useful for our project.

Computer Engineering
Brad Swaters- Mr. Swaters wasnt needed until much later in the process, sometime around
April of 2016. By this time, our research was long over and we were in the process of designing
our prototype. While our initial design worked well enough, it did not have the different
functionalities we wanted in our product. He helped us with a variety of problems, from the
power source not working correctly to the basic design of our circuits. This too proved to be
invaluable because directly after his insights, we were able to complete our basic circuit and
form a device around it.

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
8
Design and Delivery
Josh and I designed a device we dubbed the Sleep Optimizer. It is a device made of
three circuits combined into one. Two of the circuits belong to the audio stimulation, which are
eight ohm speakers oscillating at slightly different frequencies (4 Hz difference.) Every part of
our device is based on our research. We started this project knowing next to nothing and we had
to start from scratch. We first researched what exactly sleep was and how it worked. Then, we
researched if it was even possible to alter sleep through any kind of stimulation. Right off the bat
we decided we did not want to use a chemical solution because of the way certain chemicals and
hormones react with the body if someone has a mental illness. A chemical solution would only
further exuberate said illness.
We delivered our design and prototype on April 19th at a Project Lead The Way (PLTW)
Senior Showcase at Union Station. There were over 300 teams at the showcase all vying for
scholarships available through The KC STEM Alliance. Throughout the showcase, we had
several experts and fellow engineers come by and check out our project. We talked to
representatives of companies such as Garmin and representatives of nearby colleges, namely
Wichita State University and Missouri University of Science and Technology. While our project
did not win any awards, we still believe we created something worthwhile and that could benefit
people positively.
Overall, we had many positive yet skeptical responses. Many people didnt quite believe
what we had accomplished because of the difficult nature of sleep. I suspect some of it is simply
our age group. You wouldnt normally expect any 18 year olds to design and create a device that

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
9
is capable of altering your brainwaves. As unfortunate as that is, we still believe in what
accomplished.

My Learning

We learned quite a lot during our inquiry. Personally, I learned almost everything I know
about sleep throughout this process. I also learned a lot of technical skills throughout the project.
These skills ranged from easy to incredibly difficult. Soldering parts was very easy to learn but
creating circuit diagrams correctly and interpreting them all while using the correct components
to achieve the desired effect was pretty hard. It took us several months to achieve what we have
now.
If I had do this inquiry over again, I would definitely spend less time on the fringe
research surrounding sleep. I would have focused more closely on the core mechanics and then
transferred my attention to learning more circuitry and laws regarding electricity. We spent quite
some time testing trying to figure out what was wrong when we could have skipped that had we
known what we were doing exactly.
My suggestion for the eight steps to a successful inquiry are as follows;
1. Research what you need and just what you need, dont spend time looking up
random things.
2. Dont procrastinate, as youll have a time crunch later on.

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
10
3. Pick a project thats meaningful, if its useless then what have you really
accomplished?
4. While it should be meaningful, dont pick something way over your abilities.
5. Coupled with suggestion four, dont pick an inquiry thats too easy either.
6. Bring in outside help like experts and people established in the field youre
working in.
7. Dont take it too lightly as it is a lot of work to get done in a short amount of time.
8. Have fun with it, this isnt a chore.

References

Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Problem. (2015, September 3).

Retrieved November 12, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssleep/
This article outlines the general publics ability or lack thereof to sleep and the
quality of said sleep. The CDC defines lack of sleep as a public health concern because of
the side effects including but not limited to, narcolepsy, falling asleep at the wheel of a
car, increased chance of chronic diseases, and diabetes.

Jones, J. (2013, December 16). In U.S., 40% Get Less Than Recommended
Amount of Sleep. Retrieved September 1, 2015, from
http://www.gallup.com/poll/166553/less-recommended-amount-sleep.aspx
This poll demonstrates that people (more specifically Americans) are not getting
sufficient amounts of sleep. It shows average amounts of sleep that different age groups
are achieving

2011 Sleep In America Poll Communications Technology in the Bedroom.

(n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from
https://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/sleepinamericapoll/SIAP_2
011_Summary_of_Findings.pdf
This PDF describes a study done across multiple age groups. It describes the
impact of using technology before bed and the sleep disorders that arise from it. It also

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
11
describes the impact work schedules and school schedules have on sleep disorders and
their role in the rise of sleep disorders across all age groups.

Melatonin. (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2015, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin
This page offers a general understanding on melatonin, a neurohormone that
aids sleep. It also provides links for other pages on the same subject.

Melatonin: MedlinePlus Supplements. (2015, June 9). Retrieved November

13, 2015, from
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/940.html
This article describes the various uses of Melatonin, its required dosage, and
interactions between Melatonin and other drugs.

Blue light has a dark side - Harvard Health. (2012, May 1). Retrieved
September 1, 2015, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

How the Human Eye Works | Cornea Layers/Role | Light Rays. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 13, 2015, from http://www.nkcf.org/how-the-humaneye-works/
This article dissects the human eye and what each individual part does. It talks
about the individual parts of the eye to better understand Keratoconus, an uncommon
eye disease which results in corneal bulging.

Patent US5356368 - Method of and apparatus for inducing desired states of

consciousness. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from
https://www.google.com/patents/US5356368
This was found during our preliminary research to look at other products that
aim to do the same thing. We found this apparatus designed to induce changes in your
consciousness by Robert A. Monroe.

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
12
AASM News Archive. (2008, May 14). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from
http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=873
This article highlights some of the issues of poor sleep in students. This includes
reduced GPAs, and increased odds of emotional and behavioral disturbances.
Facts and Stats. (2015). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from
http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/
This website says that about 37% of adult American drivers have fallen asleep at
the wheel. It gives relevant statistics usable for our project that we can reference.
Sleep and Disease Risk. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleep
-and-disease-risk
Insufficient sleep is linked to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and
weakened immune systems.
Sleep and mental health - Harvard Health. (2009, June 1). Retrieved November 17,
2015, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Sleep-and-mentalhealth
This article highlights the issues between sleep and mental disorders. Lack of
proper sleep actually worsens most negative mental illnesses.

Figueiro, M., & Rea, M. (2010, March 2). The Effects of Red and Blue Lights on
Circadian Variations in Cortisol, Alpha Amylase, and Melatonin. Retrieved
September 1, 2015, from http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2010/829351/

Lux. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux

Ganzfeld Effect. (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2015, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_effect
This article adds a baseline for the effects of sensory deprivation, such as
hallucinations after about 30 minutes.
Ganzfeld Experiment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2015, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_experiment

OPTIMIZING SLEEP
13
This talks about the Ganzfeld experiments that were a series of experiments
designed to observe the effects of mild sensory deprivation. It resulted in hallucinations
after approx. 30 minutes but long story short, nothing was concrete due to human error
in the experiments.