Circadian Health Glossary
What Is Electroencephalogram (EEG)?
An Electroencephalogram is a diagnostic procedure that captures the electrical activity within your brain. Neurons communicate incessantly, generating small electrical currents. The procedure acts as a tool to monitor these neuronal connections.
What Does the Electroencephalogram Measure?
EEG measures the brain’s electrical activity through electrodes placed on the head. This activity is presented as brain waves, the rhythmic electrical patterns produced by the brain’s neurons communicating with each other. The waves vary in frequency and amplitude and are categorized into alpha, beta, theta, and delta waves. Each of them is associated with different states of brain activity, from awake and alert to deep sleep.
Brain Waves During Sleep
Sleep is not a single, uniform state but rather a complex cycle of different stages, each marked by distinctive brain wave patterns. For instance, slow, steady delta waves dominate the deep, restorative stages of sleep. During REM sleep—a phase crucial for memory consolidation—features a mix of quicker beta and theta waves. By analyzing these patterns through an EEG sleep study, sleep scientists can understand not just the quantity but the quality of our sleep.
Circadian Rhythm and EEG
While EEGs don’t directly measure the circadian rhythm they play a crucial role in assessing its influence on our sleep architecture. Disruptions in our sleep stages revealed through changes in brain wave patterns on an EEG, can often be traced back to underlying issues with our circadian rhythm.