Too little: Anxiety, high stress, insomnia, OCD. Too much: Daydreaming, inability to focus, too relaxed. Frequency range: 8 Hz to 12 Hz (Moderate). Essentially the beta waves “block” out the production of alpha because we become too aroused. If we become stressed, a phenomenon called “alpha blocking” may occur which involves excessive beta activity and very little alpha. It helps us calm down when necessary and promotes feelings of deep relaxation. In other words, alpha is the frequency range between beta and theta. This frequency range bridges the gap between our conscious thinking and subconscious mind. Increase beta waves: Coffee, energy drinks, various stimulants. Optimal: Conscious focus, memory, problem solving. Too little: ADHD, daydreaming, depression, poor cognition. Too much: Adrenaline, anxiety, high arousal, inability to relax, stress. Think of these as being very fast brain waves that most people exhibit throughout the day in order to complete conscious tasks such as: critical thinking, writing, reading, and socialization. 
When you drink caffeine or have another stimulant, your beta activity will naturally increase. The higher beta frequencies are associated with high levels of arousal. Having too much beta may lead to us experiencing excessive stress and/or anxiety.
Having the right amount of beta waves allows us to focus and complete school or work-based tasks easily. They are involved in conscious thought, logical thinking, and tend to have a stimulating affect. These are known as high frequency low amplitude brain waves that are commonly observed while we are awake.
Optimal: Binding senses, cognition, information processing, learning, perception, REM sleep. Too little: ADHD, depression, learning disabilities. Too much: Anxiety, high arousal, stress. Frequency range: 40 Hz to 100 Hz (Highest). It has been found that individuals who are mentally challenged and have learning disabilities tend to have lower gamma activity than average. It is thought that the 40 Hz gamma wave is important for the binding of our senses in regards to perception and are involved in learning new material. Gamma waves are important for learning, memory and information processing. These are involved in higher processing tasks as well as cognitive functioning. Below is a brief description of each brainwave state, but a more in-depth understanding can be derived from the book “ Getting Started with Neurofeedback.” Gamma Waves During sleep usually there are combinations of the slower frequencies, but even gamma has been found to be involved in rapid-eye movement (REM). However, one particular brain wave will be dominant depending on the state of consciousness that you are in.įor example, if you are awake, but have really bad ADHD, you may have more slow wave (alpha and/or theta) activity than beta waves. 5 Brain Waves: Frequencies To Understandīefore I get into specifics, it is important to realize that when I refer to a certain brain wave, I am implying that a particular brain wave is “dominant.” Throughout the day in your waking state, your EEG will display all 5 types of brain waves at the same time. The five brain waves in order of highest frequency to lowest are as follows: gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta. For this reason, it is important to understand that there is no single brain wave that is “better” or more “optimal” than the others.Įach serves a purpose to help us cope with various situations – whether it is to help us process and learn new information or help us calm down after a long stressful day. If one of the five types of brain waves is either overproduced and/or under produced in our brain, it can cause problems. 
Our brain’s ability to become flexible and/or transition through various brain wave frequencies plays a large role in how successful we are at managing stress, focusing on tasks, and getting a good night’s sleep. Each brain wave has a purpose and helps serve us in optimal mental functioning. The brain waves can be observed with an EEG (or an “electroencephalograph”) – a tool that allows researchers to note brain wave patterns. It is important to know that all humans display five different types of electrical patterns or “brain waves” across the cortex.
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