Understanding My Brain Recharge Score

By tracking your Brain Recharge score, you can gain insights into factors that may be affecting your mental sharpness, such as stress or fatigue, and be empowered to make lifestyle choices to improve or maintain it. 

Read on to learn about how to understand your Brain Recharge score.
 

How can I track my Brain Recharge score?
How do I compare my data over time?
How often should I be tracking my score?
What can impact my score?
Why does my Alpha Power vary?
How can I increase my score?
What happens if my score suddenly changes?
Is there a relation between my Brain Recharge score and Calm score?
Should I consult a professional for further information?

See our Brain Recharge and Alpha Power article for a refresher on what the different scores mean.

 

How can I track my Brain Recharge score?

In the Muse app, click the Health tab to see your lifetime average Brain Recharge score as your average Alpha Power (dBx). Tapping the bar allows you to access trends and your performance history, providing better visibility into how your Alpha Power changes over time.

The overall Alpha Power average is calculated based on the data points visible on your graph. When you scroll from left to right on the graph, you'll see your overall Alpha Power average change in real time.

It’s important to note that each daily data point shown is the average of all the biofeedback sessions completed that day.

 

How do I compare my data over time?

Comparing your data can help you understand how your lifestyle choices and habits are impacting your cognitive health.

Note that you must complete 10 biofeedback sessions to establish your initial Alpha Power baseline before you'll see your Brain Recharge score.

To view your Brain Recharge trends:

1. Open the Muse app and sign in to your account.

2. Tap the Health tab on the bottom menu bar.

3. Tap Brain Recharge.
    

Your average Alpha Power is calculated based on the data points visible on your graph. Swipe left and right to see the average change overtime. Your all time average Alpha Power is shown below the trend graph.

To view your Brain Recharge score, along with the other results from an individual session:

1. Tap the Me tab, then tap on Session History.

2. Tap any biofeedback session to view your score for that session.
    

Remember to add a journal entry when you complete a biofeedback session with Muse to capture the context of the session. Viewing the data is one thing, but understanding the context of when the data was determined is key.

• Was the day particularly stressful?

• Were you lacking sleep?

• Have you made recent lifestyle changes?

By making small, positive changes, you can work towards optimizing your Brain Recharge and overall well-being.

 

How often should I be tracking my score?

Track your Brain Recharge score at least once a week to see your progress.

Think of it as a fitness tracker for your mind. Like any fitness practice, having a regular routine makes a big difference in your progress. Some people prefer their fitness routine in the morning, while others prefer the night. 

Consider lifestyle elements such as your sleep patterns, nutritional intake, physical exercise, and stress levels. Understanding how these factors may impact your cognitive health can guide you in making beneficial adjustments.

 

What can impact my score?

Since your Brain Recharge score is a measure of how your brain is recovering, there are a number of biological and environmental factors that can impact your score, including:

• Poor sleep quality

• Stress and anxiety

• Poor diet

• Sedentary lifestyles

• Alcohol and substance use

• Noise and distractions

• Mental fatigue

• Neurological conditions
   

On the other hand, good sleep, healthy diets, managed stress, and meditation can all help boost your Alpha Power scores. Think about it this way: Is your brain at its best when it’s stressed, tired, and hungry for nutrients, or when it’s relaxed, energized, and ready to go?

 

Why does my Alpha Power vary?

Brain Recharge scores can fluctuate based on your current mental load, sleep quality, breaks, and rest. Tracking over score over time, while making conscious choices in your lifestyle to improve your score.

 

How can I increase my score?

Alpha Power values change with age, so tracking and training it empowers you to get ahead of the curve. While you can’t undo the effects of aging, you can mitigate them through meditation, brain-training activities, and mindfulness exercises.

Relaxation and meditation increase alpha power, while stress decreases it. Health conditions like anxiety or depression may lower alpha power, emphasizing the importance of tracking it and making conscious choices to improve your rest and resilience.

Along with healthy lifestyle choices like getting better sleep, exercising, and eating properly, concerted brain training with research-backed exercises and devices like Muse can influence your alpha wave production and increase your alpha power.

For more info on how to create a routine for Brain Recharge, see our article on Improving Your Muse Meditation Scores.

 

What happens if my score suddenly changes?

Remember that everyone has both exceptional and off days. 

Your session’s score is compared with your baseline of the last 10 sessions. When you receive an Alpha Power that results in an optimal score (an exceptionally rested state), that’s in comparison with the baseline of the last 10 sessions. If you receive the same Alpha Power for the next 10 sessions, optimal may trend towards a good score (a solid rested state).

See our article on Brain Recharge and Alpha Power for a refresher on what the different scores mean.

Whenever you receive scores, it's most beneficial to reflect on potential factors influencing these results. Consider your sleep patterns, nutritional intake, physical exercise, and stress levels. Understanding how these factors may impact your cognitive health can guide you in making beneficial adjustments.

 

Is there a relation between my Brain Recharge score and Calm score?

Your Brain Recharge score and Calm score are closely related but measure different aspects of your brain’s activity.
 

Brain Recharge score

• The Brain Recharge score reflects how well your brain enters a restorative state, particularly through alpha power (a measure of the strength of brain activity in the alpha band). This score indicates your brain’s ability to recover from cognitive load, stress, and fatigue, providing insight into mental rejuvenation and relaxation.

• It emphasizes long-term recharge and how well your brain disengages from external stimuli to recharge.

Calm score

• The Calm score measures your ability to stay relaxed and maintain focused-calm brain activity, especially during meditation or mindfulness practices. This score evaluates how well you can reduce mental distractions and enter a meditative state, often tied to lower beta and higher alpha brainwave activity.

• It captures real-time relaxation and focus during a session, such as meditation, showing how deeply you’re able to relax in the moment.
   

How They’re Related

• Shared Brainwave Activity: Both scores are influenced by alpha brainwave activity, which is associated with relaxation and a calm state of mind. When you are in a calm state, your brain is more likely to be recovering effectively, which may be reflected in your Brain Recharge score.

• Immediate vs. Long-term: The Calm score measures your ability to achieve a calm, relaxed state in real time, often during a specific meditation or relaxation session. The Brain Recharge score looks at the long-term ability of your brain to rest and recover after periods of mental exertion. So, while you might achieve a high Calm score in a session, your Brain Recharge score tracks how consistently your brain can enter this state over time.

• Cumulative Effect: Regularly achieving high Calm scores during relaxation or meditation sessions can contribute to improving your overall Brain Recharge score. Over time, the more frequently you can calm your mind, the better your brain can recover from daily stress.
   

In summary, the Calm score is about momentary calmness during specific relaxation sessions, while the Brain Recharge score is about your brain’s long-term ability to recharge and recover from cognitive load. 

Achieving a high Calm score can support and improve your Brain Recharge score, as both rely on the brain’s ability to enter a relaxed state.

 

Should I consult a professional for further information?

Muse is not a medical device and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical conditions. Our products and services are intended to provide information that can help you manage and support your well-being through biofeedback and sleep data.

Please speak with a healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your health and/or are thinking of making changes to prescription medications or lifestyle modifications.


For more info on how to create a routine for Brain Recharge, see our article on Improving Your Muse Meditation Scores.