Binaural beats for sleep: what they are and what we know.
Binaural beats are two very close tones, one in each ear. In Oasis, they are synthesized live on the iPhone, in 11 programs for the evening, naps, a calm pause or work. Here is how they work, how to listen, and what research can and cannot claim.
What is a binaural beat?
A binaural beat appears when each ear hears a pure tone at a slightly different pitch. You do not hear two separate notes, but a single one that seems to pulse slowly. That pulse matches the gap between the two tones. It arises in your perception, not in the air of the room. This is why stereo headphones are needed: on a speaker, the two tones mix before they reach your ears and the binaural effect disappears. The phenomenon has been known since the nineteenth century and is still studied in psychoacoustics.
How does Oasis make them?
Oasis does not play a recorded file. Both tones are synthesized live on the iPhone, which lets the pulse change over the course of a program, fade gently at the end and sit beneath a recorded soundscape. The beats themselves need no download, so they work without a connection. Some evening programs add a soft pad and a guided breath of six cycles a minute, which you can follow or simply let pass.
Which programs suit the evening?
For bedtime, start with Drift off: the pulse slowly descends for about half an hour, then the tones fade away. Gentle night follows a quieter descent that is gone within the hour. Evening ritual covers the twenty-five minutes before bed, with a breath that slows down. For naps, Short nap lasts twenty minutes then rises gently to the singing bowl, and Long nap covers a ninety-minute cycle. Calm pause, Daydream, Focus, Focus with pink noise and a custom program are also among the 11 programs. Drift off and Focus are free.
Do I need headphones?
Yes, for binaural programs. Each ear must receive its own tone, which stereo headphones or earphones allow. On a speaker, the binaural pulse disappears. The Focus program is the exception: its pulse is present in each ear and also works on a speaker. Keep the volume low, just audible. For a whole night, a speaker is more comfortable: the Drift off beats fade after their descent and the soundscape can continue without headphones. Finally, check that Mono Audio is turned off in the iPhone accessibility settings, because it merges both channels.
What precautions should I take?
Binaural beats are a listening technique, not a treatment. Never listen while driving or during any activity that needs your attention. If you have epilepsy, ask your doctor first. Stop listening if the sound bothers or tires you. Oasis is not a substitute for medical advice if sleep difficulties persist. Keep the volume comfortable, especially with headphones and for long sessions.
What does research say?
Research is mixed. A 2019 meta-analysis found a medium effect in laboratory tasks, but it did not look at sleep. A 2023 review found inconsistent results for the idea that brain activity locks onto the beat. A small 2024 nap study is encouraging but limited. In detail, Garcia-Argibay, Santed and Reales pooled 22 studies on memory, attention, felt anxiety and pain (Psychological Research, 2019, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Ingendoh, Posny and Heine reviewed 14 EEG studies: 5 supported that hypothesis, 8 contradicted it and 1 was mixed (PLOS ONE, 2023, doi.org). Fan and colleagues observed, in 12 healthy adults during naps, a shorter delay before slow-wave sleep than in a sham condition, without measuring any locking of brain activity. The study was partly funded by a company (Scientific Reports, 2024, doi.org).
What research does not say
None of these studies shows that binaural beats do better than any other calm sound for sleep, or that they act on a sleep disorder. This is why Oasis promises no result. The app gathers this evidence on its What research says page, with sources and the level of evidence for each program. If you enjoy the slow pulse, it can be part of your evening ritual. If it bothers you, rain, brown noise or a soundscape on its own remain good starting points.
Beats, soundscapes and sessions: how do they fit together?
Beats play beneath a recorded soundscape, which you set as usual. A session combines a soundscape, a beats program, a duration and a gentle ending, ready to start. Oasis offers 12 sessions, with 2 free. At night, the bedtime reminder can start the evening ritual, then Drift off follows on its own. On Mac, Oasis is at version 2.0.3 and does not offer these synthesized beats.
Frequently asked questions
Are binaural beats free in Oasis?
The Drift off and Focus programs are free, with no account and no time limit. The other programs are part of full access: 2.99 USD a month, 12.99 USD a year or 24.99 USD for life in the United States. The app shows your local price.
Do binaural beats make you sleep?
Nothing allows that promise. Studies are small and their results vary. Oasis offers them as an evening listening technique, not as a treatment.
Can I use AirPods?
Yes, they are stereo earphones. For a whole night, note that AirPods can pause playback when you fall asleep. You can turn this off in the AirPods settings.
Do I need to download the beats?
No. They are synthesized live on the iPhone and work without a connection. Only the soundscape that plays with them needs downloading for offline listening.
Are the beats available on Mac?
No. Oasis for Mac is at version 2.0.3 and does not include the synthesized beats of Oasis 2.1 for iPhone.
Try the free Drift off beats.
