Neurofeedback for Better Sleep
Train your brain for restorative sleep. Evidence-based brain training that improves sleep quality naturally—without medication or side effects.
Neurofeedback for Sleep: The Short Version
Neurofeedback trains your brain to produce the rhythms needed for restorative sleep. By addressing the root brainwave patterns — excess beta at bedtime, poor theta transitions, unstable sleep spindles — it helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling rested. No medication, no dependency risk.
- •Effective for sleep-onset insomnia, maintenance insomnia, and non-restorative sleep
- •Research shows improvements often maintained long-term after training ends
- •Most people notice changes within 10–15 sessions
- •QEEG brain mapping identifies your specific sleep-disruption patterns first
- •Available in-office (LA, OC, NYC, St. Louis, West Palm Beach) or remote worldwide
Why Neurofeedback Works for Sleep
Sleep Onset Training
Theta rhythm training helps the brain transition smoothly from waking to sleep, reducing time to fall asleep.
SMR for Sleep Quality
Sensorimotor rhythm training enhances sleep spindles, improving sleep quality and memory consolidation.
Calm Racing Thoughts
Reducing excess beta activity helps quiet the "busy brain" that keeps you awake at night.
Sleep Problems We Address
Difficulty Falling Asleep
Lying awake for 30+ minutes before sleep onset. Often involves racing thoughts or inability to "turn off" the brain.
Waking During the Night
Multiple awakenings or difficulty returning to sleep after waking. Common with anxiety or stress patterns.
Non-Restorative Sleep
Sleeping enough hours but waking unrefreshed. May involve poor sleep architecture or insufficient deep sleep.
Sleep Issues with ADHD/Anxiety
Sleep problems that occur alongside attention issues or anxiety often share common brain patterns we can address.
Research on Neurofeedback for Sleep
Studies demonstrate neurofeedback's effectiveness for improving sleep quality and reducing insomnia.
Neurofeedback to Enhance Sleep Quality and Insomnia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of RCTs ↗
Multiple research groups pooled. (2024)
Meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials examining neurofeedback for sleep. Found that alpha and SMR training protocols across 8-20 sessions showed measurable effects on sleep architecture. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Important for establishing which protocols and session counts produce the strongest sleep improvements.
Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Primary Insomnia Using SMR Neurofeedback ↗
Schabus M., Griessenberger H., Heib D., Lechinger J., & Hoedlmoser K. (2014)
SMR (12-15 Hz) neurofeedback increased sensorimotor rhythm activity and enhanced sleep spindles during slow-wave sleep in primary insomnia patients. Sleep spindles are the brain's own sleep-maintenance mechanism — training them directly addresses the circuit failure that causes nighttime awakenings.
SMR Neurofeedback for Improving Sleep and Memory — Two Studies in Primary Insomnia ↗
Schabus M., Heib D., Lechinger J., Griessenberger H., & Hoedlmoser K. (2015)
Two controlled studies confirmed SMR neurofeedback improved both objective sleep measures and subjective sleep quality in primary insomnia. Bonus finding: memory consolidation also improved — because the same sleep spindles that maintain sleep are the ones that transfer memories from short-term to long-term storage.
Instrumental SMR Conditioning Enhances Sleep Quality and Declarative Memory ↗
Hoedlmoser K., Pecherstorfer T., Gruber G., et al. (2008)
SMR training enhanced sleep spindle activity, improved sleep quality, decreased sleep onset latency, and improved declarative memory. This was one of the first studies to show that training a specific EEG rhythm during waking hours changes sleep architecture at night — proof that neurofeedback creates lasting circuit changes.
EEG Theta Biofeedback in the Treatment of Sleep-Onset Insomnia ↗
Bell J.S. (1979)
Classic study: theta biofeedback decreased sleep latency and increased total sleep time after just 11 sessions. Improvements maintained at 3 months, even after discontinuing sleep medication. One of the earliest demonstrations that training the theta rhythm — the brain's gateway to sleep — can replace pharmacological sleep aids.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does neurofeedback help with sleep?
Neurofeedback trains the brain to produce patterns associated with healthy sleep, including theta rhythms for sleep onset and SMR for sleep quality. It also reduces excess beta activity that causes racing thoughts at bedtime.
How long until I see sleep improvements?
Many people notice improvements within 10-15 sessions. Research shows that sleep improvements are often maintained long-term, even after training ends.
Is neurofeedback safer than sleep medication?
Neurofeedback is non-invasive with no known negative side effects. Unlike sleep medications, there is no risk of dependency, morning grogginess, or rebound insomnia.
Ready to Sleep Better?
Get a free consultation to learn how neurofeedback can improve your sleep
Deep Dives from Dr. Hill
In-depth articles on the neuroscience of sleep optimization