Do you want better sleep, less stress, improved concentration?
In this fast-paced society with little time for rest and recuperation, who doesn’t want those things, right?
We all crave a quiet space, a short time to mute the world and rejuvenate our mind and body. But study, work, kids, bills, appointments and all the rest of it are always beating at the door and stopping us giving the mind the space it needs to recenter.
And that's why meditation apps are so popular: think Calm, Headspace, Buddhify, Insight Timer, etc.
These apps all want the same thing: to occupy that small window of space we might get each day to breathe and help us relax.
Welltiss Mind, however, is much more than simply meditation music, which is why I got excited about it. It's also kind of similar to the brainwave entrainment stuff I'm into like binaural beats and hypnosis, as you may know already.
Basically, Welltiss Mind is a wearable device, coupled with an app, that helps you reduce stress, enhance concentration, and sleep well.
The big question is, how does it work, and is there any science to back its claims? Moreover, should you get one?
I answer all these questions, and more.
How Welltiss Mind Works
To understand how Welltiss works, we first need to look at the way the human brain works.
The human brain has five types of repetitive electrical patterns, known as brainwave states.
These states are indicative of neural activities in our central nervous system.
The different key brainwave states are as follows:
- Delta (0.5 to 4 Hz)
Delta waves are very slow waves and are active during the deep stages of sleep, thus allowing for brain restoration. - Theta (4 to 8 Hz)
Theta waves are brainwaves that occur when we daydream or are in the creative zone, when the mind is relaxed and moves freely. This state is also associated with intuition. - Alpha (8 to 12 Hz)
Alpha is generally the default state when the mind is relaxed but focussed, e.g. when reading or doing yoga. - Beta (12 to 32 Hz)
Beta brainwaves are high frequencies observed during activities that involve critical thinking, socializing, and performing tasks. - Gamma
The fastest of all brainwave types, gamma waves are associated with high-level brain activity, and also the fight or flight state of mind.
Our brainwave patterns depend on what we are doing and feeling: whether you are calm and collected, anxious and stressed, or distracted and tired.
Oftentimes, our brainwave makeup is misaligned with what we do or want to achieve.
This is where problems arise such as stress, sleep disturbances, and difficulty focusing.
So you might want to sleep but your mind is overactive and producing too many beta and alpha waves and not enough theta waves.
This is where Welltiss can help.
You're probably thinking that you've heard me give a very similar overview for binaural beats, and you'd be right. It's just that Welltiss Mind is using a different technology, PEMF.
PEMF emits electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which is essentially invisible energy characterized by frequency.
The technology has been around for almost 60 years and is usually associated with assisting pain relief.
What Welltiss has done is use tis technology as a form of brainwave entrainment, to manipulate the brain into producing specific brainwaves.
Welltiss Mind emits pulses from 2 to 20 Hertz – a frequency range within the brain's normal pattern of operation – using brainwave entrainment to get the brain to follow along at a particular frequency.
For example: PEMF therapy improves sleep by stimulating the brain with low frequency delta waves, or aids meditation by encouraging the production of theta waves.
How Welltiss Can Help You
Welltiss Mind focuses on common problems related to health and wellbeing: sleep disturbance, stress, and lack of concentration.
It offers four distinct programs, each targeting the aforementioned problems.
1. Sleep Mode
Welltiss Mind offers an alternative to drugs by entraining the brain with 2 Hz delta waves for deeper sleep.
Delta sleep is the deepest sleep, common in stages 3 and 4 where the body rejuvenates itself. The knock-on effect of better sleep is a more effective immune system and a mind that is better able to focus on challenging tasks.
The sleep mode is deal for treating insomnia and sleeplessness. You will need to use it for a minimum of 30 minutes for it to take effect.
2. Stress Relief Mode
In this modern world, stress is a given. But there is in fact good stress and bad stress.
Good stress is healthy and can even boost memory. It can help us perform tasks more quickly and efficiently.
However, chronic stress that arises when we feel we have no control over a situation can be unhealthy when experienced on a regular basis.
Research has found that chronic stress is toxic to the body. It ages us, damages our neural pathways, and interferes with our judgment.
Stress weakens the immune system and eventually leads to health problems or exacerbates existing medical conditions.
Welltiss Mind synchronizes with the brain to bring it into a state of calm and relieve you of stress.
3. Meditation Mode
If you've been thinking of starting a daily meditation practice but think your mind is too overactive to benefit, Welltiss Mind can assist you in accessing the right state of mind for getting into the meditation zone.
Meditation has long been practiced to achieve a calm, peaceful state and comes with numerous health benefits (1).
Welltiss Mind enables you to balance your cognition and control your mental processes by encouraging the brain to produce theta waves.
Theta waves are associated with a meditative state. They help creative a mental environment conducive to reorganization and transformation, and ultimately optimal neural performance.
4. Concentration Mode
Do you often find it difficult to concentrate and focus? We all do, thanks to this world of constant distraction!
The concentration mode is arguably the most effective, helping you remain focused and alert for working, studying, processing information, solving problems, and multitasking.
To do this, Welltiss Mind stimulates beta brainwaves at appropriate levels, which come into play when we perform challenging and engaging tasks, such as critical thinking and socialization.
+ Compare Welltiss to Other Wearable Devices
Does Welltiss Really Work? The Science
I have to say that I hadn't heard much about PEMF being used for brainwave entrainment before Welltiss Mind, so I began reading up on it.
I found a number of studies that support its efficacy, and some that didn't. Overall, though, the research is positive.
Study 1: Sleep
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study tested the efficacy of using magnetic field therapy to treat insomnia.
The test randomly assigned 101 patients into either active treatment or placebo, and they were observed and tested for the following criteria: sleep latency, interrupted sleep, or nightmares.
At the end of the study, the values of all criteria of the patients in the active treatment group were considerably lower.
The placebo group also displayed significant symptomatic improvement, but it is worth noting that the difference between the two is significant and favors the active treatment (2).
This shows that PEMF therapy can aid sleep.
Study 2: Sleep
In another double-blind study, the efficacy of magnetic fields emitted by a small battery-operated 0.5 mT/5 Gauss 4 Hz generator was tested.
Sleep performance was studied before the treatment, as well as the effects on sleep of the patients after two and six weeks of treatment.
It was found that 83% of the exposed group had reduced sleep disturbances compared with 57% in the control group.
Whether after two or six weeks, patients in the active treatment group had better results, although results were significantly more consistent and stronger at six weeks (3).
This implies that longer treatment may be necessary to achieve consistent results if a weak-intensity magnetic system is used.
This would suggest that Welltiss Mind won't be an instant fix for sleep problems but that with regular use for 6+ weeks you should see improvement.
Study 3: Pain
In a study conducted in the area of clinical plastic surgery, PEMF therapy was tested for managing post-surgical edema and pain (4).
Post study, the results showed that PEMF therapy had successfully helped in decreasing post-surgical pain and swelling, helped treat chronic wounds, and facilitated vasodilation.
Study 4: Cancer Treatment
Despite its limited use and application in the field of oncology (cancer), PEMF therapy is slowly making a name for itself.
A study involving 163 patients affected by different types of cancer was conducted to test the effectiveness of PEMF therapy using tumor-specific frequencies.
Twenty-eight patients with advanced cancer were given the opportunity to self-administer PEMF therapy for 60 minutes, three times a day, for 278.4 months.
The study showed that the following patients presented stable disease for the length of time indicated below:
- 1 patient with thyroid cancer – 3 years
- 1 patient with mesothelioma metastatic to the abdomen – 6 months
- 1 patient with non‐small‐cell lung cancer – 5 months
- 1 patient with pancreatic cancer with biopsy‐proven liver metastases – 4 months
This might seem impressive but the results are modest considering this was just 4 out of 28 patients (5).
Although such studies imply the effectiveness of PEMF therapy in managing and treating certain medical conditions, some studies also showed no benefit compared to placebo, specifically in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Study 5: Osteoarthritis
A meta analysis was conducted to review 13 trials on the efficacy and safety of PEMF therapy in treating osteoarthritis (OA): 10 trials involved knee OA, 2 cervical, and 1 hand.
The results revealed that knee patients under PEMF therapy had more significant pain alleviation than those in the placebo group, but this wasn't the case for patients with cervical OA.
Similarly, notable function improvement was observed in knee and hand OA patients under the PEMF group compared with the placebo group, but not in cervical OA patients.
It was also noted that sessions with <30 minutes exposure achieved better results than >30 minutes duration per session (6).
What is clear is that PEMF therapy does have a body of science behind it and clearly has positive effects in some areas and not so much in others.
What’s in the Box?
Your Welltiss Mind will arrive in the above blue box. It comes with the wearable headband device, which stimulates the production of the appropriate brainwaves based on the program you choose.
You sync the device to your app via bluetooth. When applied, harmless electromagnetic pulses will be emitted to help with your sleep issues, stress, difficulty in concentration, and meditation purposes.
Note that the device is water-resistant but not waterproof. You shouldn't use it near water anyway (see the safety section below).
Using the App
Although the device runs autonomously, you need the app to start your desired program.
Once a program has started, you can then turn off your mobile phone and Bluetooth. I really like this because it means I can detach from my phone once the session begins.
Here is how you can use the free app:
- Download the app via the App Store or Google Play stores.
- Put the device on your head, then turn it on with a short press of the button.
- Open the app.
- Choose your desired program. You can tailor it to your needs, e.g. duration, day/night modes.
- Press Start when you are ready.
- Exit the app, if you like.
- Relax and let Welltiss take over.
Is Welltiss Safe?
My first thought was of EMF devices like X-Ray machines, but thankfully most PEMF systems produce frequencies in the Extremely Low Frequency to Very Low Frequency range on the electromagnetic spectrum.
These frequencies (below 10,000 Hz) do not induce heating actions and like radio waves are harmless.
PEMF therapy is FDA approved, and Welltiss is a non-invasive technology that emits invisible electromagnetic fields that are harmless to the body.
Remember though that Welltiss Mind is not a substitute for professional health care or advice.
If you are seeking to treat a specific condition or have an existing medical condition it is best to consult a physician prior to the use of Welltiss PEMF device.
Before using the device, here are some DON’Ts you should take note of. Do not use:
- If you have a cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or other implanted device.
- During pregnancy and if breastfeeding.
- If you have epilepsy or have experienced seizures.
- If you have Bell’s Palsy, cranial nerve function impairment, or Temporomandibular Joint disorder (TMJ).
- While driving, operating equipment, or during activities where stimulation can cause accidents and injuries.
- While in the shower, pool, or any body of water.
- And,do not place Welltiss on different body parts other than those directed.
Price, Shipping & Guarantee
Price
Welltiss Mind is priced at $249, $60 more than when I first wrote this review. The price hike is probably in line with other wearables on the market which tend to be above the $250 mark.
Shipping
Welltiss offers free shipping worldwide.
Guarantee
Welltiss offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Warranty
A one-year warranty protects against defects in materials or workmanship under normal use.
Remember that the warranty is only effective if the device was bought directly from Welltiss or any of its authorized resellers, not if you buy a second-hand device. Your warranty also requires proof of purchase that indicates the purchase date.
Note that the said warranty does not cover the following:
Return and Refund Policy
To return a product that was purchased directly from Welltiss, you need to fill out the Request RMA form within 30 days upon receipt of the product.
You must return the product in good condition within 14 days of RMA issuance. They may offer a refund, minus a $20 restocking fee, or exchange the device.
Welltiss Mind, My Verdict
Pros:
- I like the Welltiss Mind concept because it brings the PEMF technology to a wearable and makes it accessible to the everyday person.
- In terms of the device itself: it looks quite cool and futuristic, almost like headphones from 2050!
- There's no sound so you can use it anywhere at anytime (though this can also be a con, see below)
- It's lightweight and doesn't bother you once it's on.
- It's hard to describe the sensation. It feels like it's doing something but you can't feel it. It's more intuitive, like the brain state is changing.
- It is really easy to use and connects effortlessly with the app.
- There is a body of evidence to support the efficacy of PEMF overall.
Cons:
- I'd like to see more research studies conducted with the device itself and the effects on the brain
- I think the price tag is a tad heavy, though I appreciate embedding this tech in the device was probably costly to research and produce.
- I'd like to see them introduce some music programs maybe, so the device pulses and you get to listen to relaxing music.
- I would have included a moderate to high alpha program for focus rather than beta, or a combination of alpha and beta. Alpha is associated with the flow state, though low beta may contribute. Perhaps they will develop further programs through the app.
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