The Influence of Music with the Binaural Beat Effect on Heart Rate during Daytime Sleep in Humans

Objective. To test the hypothesis that music with a binaural beat (BB) effect can increase activation of the parasympathetic compartment of the autonomic nervous system (PANS) as daytime sleep gets deeper. Materials and methods. Comparison parameters were the power of the high-frequency components of the spectrum of variability of subjects’ heart rate computed in sequentia l 2-min periods during 20-min naps. Parameters were compared on going to sleep on the background of music with the BB effect (stimulus) and going to sleep in the quiet (control). Results and conclusions. Statistical comparison demonstrated a higher level of activation of the PANS on going to sleep on the background of the stimulus as compared with the control. This is consistent with conclusions in other reports on the positive influence of sound stimuli with the BB effect on the PANS.