The effect of alpha rhythm sleep on EEG activity and individuals' attention

Abstract

[Purpose] This study examined whether the alpha rhythm sleep alters the EEG activity and response time in the attention and concentration tasks. [Subjects and Methods] The participants were 30 healthy university students, who were randomly and equally divided into two groups, the experimental and control groups. They were treated using the Happy-sleep device or a sham device, respectively. All participants had a one-week training period. Before and after training sessions, a behavioral task test was performed and EEG alpha waves were measured to confirm the effectiveness of training on cognitive function. [Results] In terms of the behavioral task test, reaction time (RT) variations in the experimental group were significantly larger than in the control group for the attention item. Changes in the EEG alpha power in the experimental group were also significantly larger than those of the control group. [Conclusions] These findings suggest that sleep induced using the Happy-sleep device modestly enhances the ability to pay attention and focus during academic learning. © 2013 by the Society of Physical Therapy Science.