If you’re anything like me, you may wonder from time to time why it is that you have a tendency to either fall asleep on your beach lounger or feel somewhat groggy when you try to get up from your beach lounger while on a beach vacation…

Well, there is science behind what occurs when vacationing by the beach.  It doesn’t have to only occur while you are on your lounger, it can happen any time you are taking a beach vacation and can hear the sounds of the ocean waves.

Here’s the basic science behind this particular phenomenon (I will provide a link to the lengthier explanation at the end of this blog article):

• There are five different wave states measured by brain activity.  These are delta (associated with deep sleep/unconsciousness), theta (associated with drowsiness, light sleep, and relaxation), alpha (associated with daydreaming or meditation), beta (associated with active thinking, problem solving, and focused attention), and gamma (associated with information processing and learning).
• During deep meditative states, brain wave frequencies typically measure between 4-8 Hz in theta wave ranges and between 8-12 Hz in alpha wave ranges.
• The frequency of ocean wave oscillation (basically the rhythmic back and forth of ocean waves coming in, going out. then coming back in again to repeat the cycle) varies between 09-18 Hz.
• If the sounds we hear while in a normative wake state (say most of us are in a beta wave state a majority of time during wakefulness) are synced and rhythmic in nature, such as ocean waves, our brainwaves can shift to the pattern created by the rhythmic nature of incoming sound.  That means your beta wave state can change to a slower wave pattern such as an alpha or theta wave pattern, and if relaxed enough where sleep is induced brain wave patterns slow even more.

To sum up, the rhythmic and continual nature of ocean waves can change our brainwave activity thus producing states of meditative consciousness or even sleep onset.  Isn’t science great?  It can clear up many mysteries and certainly explains why I get up off my beach lounger and go slowly lurching about until I ramp up my brainwaves again so that other vacationers don’t think I’m punch drunk.

Here’s to the fortunate people who get to have this experience every day!  Creating meditative states is not only good for our physical health, it is good for our mental health as well.  If you want to get a more detailed scientific explanation, check out this article.

I am looking forward to changing my brainwave patterns starting July 16 when I’m back to beach vacationing in Mexico–look for the person who seems to always be asleep while on her beach lounger, or the person who stumbles around after getting up from her beach lounger.  And no, it’s not too much alcohol, it’s too much alpha wave activity…