Your Guide to the 5 Binaural Beat Bands: How to Reset Your Nervous System in 10 Minutes
One of the most common questions we hear at Audicin is: “What should I listen to if I only have 5–10 minutes?”
The short answer: you can still shift your state quickly and effectively. And here is how.
The Two Ways to Listen on Audicin
Audicin is designed to work with real life whether you have time to go deep or just need a quick reset.
1. Journeys: Guided, Step-by-Step
Audicin Journeys are structured sequences of songs that have been built with binaural beat trajectories, using our patent-pending formula, guiding your brain from one state to another. We named them to tell you what they do/ help.
For example:
- Crisis Recovery
- Bedtime Prep
- Problem Solve
- Nap: Recovery
- Work with the Flow
You can start a Journey and listen for as long as you need. If you need to stop early, that’s absolutely fine. Your brain will still benefit from the time you’ve spent.
Think of it like a diet or exercise plan - if you follow it all the way you will get the best results, but you will still improve your situation by only taking some of the steps.
We’ve intentionally made Journeys long based on user feedback, so they don’t run out when you need them most. But however long you can listen you will have invested in supporting your nervous system in the way you needed at the time.
2. Songs: Fast, Flexible Resets
Every Audicin track is also available as an individual song. And each song has a fixed binaural beat within it. This means you can:
- Target a specific state
- Use just 5–10 minutes
- Repeat a song to extend the effect!
- Once you start a song, open the Audicin mini player at the bottom of your screen and look for this repeat button. Press twice (so the little 1 appears) to repeat a song.
If time is short, this is often the simplest way to start.
Why Binaural Beats Work So Quickly
Binaural beats guide your brain into specific states by subtly shifting its activity. Each frequency band is linked to a different mental and nervous system state from deep rest to sharp focus.
The key point: your brain can begin to follow within minutes.
That’s why even short sessions can help you reset.
How to Choose in 5 Minutes
Ask yourself: what do I need right now?
- Sleep → Delta
- Slow down → Theta (or delta if you can really relax)
- Stay calm but focused → Alpha
- Get into action, 'the zone' → Beta
- Boost mental energy and inspiration → Gamma
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The 5 Binaural Beat Bands
Delta (0.5–4 Hz): Deep Rest and Sleep
Best for: full reset, recovery, pre-sleep
Delta helps your system fully switch off. Even a few minutes can feel like a reset when you’re overloaded.
Use when: you need to stop and decompress. But only when you can afford to really relax, delta can make some people feel quite sleepy!
Dr Vicky’s Top Picks:
- Relaxing Ocean
- Sleeping Beauty
- 8 Hour Recovery (8 hour continuous song for whole night rest)
Theta (4–8 Hz): Calm & Processing
Best for: stress release, reflection, creativity
Theta brings you into a deeply calming, inward state, useful when you need to process but also simply be at peace.
Use when: you need space to think or reset emotionally.
Dr Vicky’s Top Picks:
- Hikari
- Just For Today
- Mare Solis
Alpha (8–12 Hz): Calm Presence
Best for: clarity, steady productivity
Alpha is the everyday sweet spot for most of the time, calm, clear, and present. If you have no idea where to start/ have no particular need in mind, try an alpha track.
Use when: you want to feel in control without pressure. I love them when commuting.
Dr Vicky’s Top Picks:
- Aether
- Light and Shadow
- Silent Echoes Within
Beta (12–30 Hz): Focus & Action
Best for: getting started, concentration
Beta helps you engage and move forward, especially when motivation is low. This is your password to the 'zone' where time flies and productivity is maxed.
Use when: you need to get into work mode quickly.
Dr Vicky’s Top Picks:
- Ocean Mind
- No Longer Lost
- River Soul
Gamma (30+ Hz): Mental Boost
Best for: learning, sharp thinking in short bursts
Gamma supports high-level cognition and clarity.
Use when: you need a quick mental lift.
TIP - we advise you don't use Gamma for more than about 30 mins. We never do in our Journeys. The reason is that Gamma is a very fast wave which the brain is unlikely to sustain for long. It won't do any harm, it will just stop working. You are basically asking the brain to sprint, and at some point it will have had enough and go back to jogging!
Dr Vicky’s Top Picks:
- Gone Surfing
- The Path
- Along the Way
5–10 Minutes Can Be Enough If That Is All You Have
You don’t need perfect conditions or long sessions to get benefits from Audicin.
What matters more to the impact of Audicin is:
- Choosing the right sound
- Using it at the right moment
Short, intentional listening fits into real life and that’s what makes it sustainable.
TIP - You can Favorite songs! Save yourself finding your go-to staples. When you start a song, open the mini player at the bottom of the screen and click the heart in the top right. That will add the song to your Favorites list which you can access in the main song menu.
A Final Thought
Understanding how your brain responds to sound gives you another way to shift your state, quickly and practically.
Whether you choose an Audicin Journey or a single song, the important thing is this: you can shift your state, even in a few minutes.
With Audicin, you are in control, whether that be through choosing our Journeys by their title or the song you need by it’s goal/ binaural beat band following the guide above.
And once you start noticing the difference to how well you sleep, relax, focus and perform, it becomes something you return to naturally, because it is effortless and it works.