That’s a wrap for another CES. Here’s what to expect next in mental training tech
Every year at CES, we see the prior year’s major trends and themes converge in fresh and unexpected ways. This year was no different. And when it comes to the mental fitness technology space in 2025, a few trends are standing out that we expect to influence it.
First, there’s the growing awareness around what contributes to mental health and how we can proactively and preventatively manage it. Last year, we learned more about how physical fitness is essential to mental fitness, and vice versa.
Then, there are the rapid advances in brain science as we gain a deeper understanding of what contributes to cognitive health. We gained clearer roadmaps as to the choices we need to make today to prevent decline in later life – from the importance of sleep and diet to other overall health indicators.
Finally, there’s the ongoing evolution of wearables and hearables. Most of us own at least one health tracking device on our wrist or finger these days, and a variety of devices around our ears and head to consume our music, meditations and other content. The sensors have evolved at a similar pace, with EKG now the standard, and a growing integration of EEG to measure and influence brainwaves through neurofeedback.
Take these forces together and you’ve got a renaissance in how we approach mental training.
Leading the Evolution
Of course another development that gained even more traction in 2024 was how music can impact mental performance – thanks to more validation of our work driving this space (pardon the not so humble brag.) Most of us intuitively understand how music impacts our state of mind and performance on the court. This year we gathered more numbers to prove it.
Our research with elite soccer teams showed a 34% increase in the production of alpha brainwaves, the optimal ones associated with a “flow” state. In another study, over 70% of Olympic archers using our technology were able to produce those alpha brainwaves at will.
These aren't just statistics. They represent a tangible shift in how athletes approach mental preparation. And the stories of our users bring it to life.
Take Austin Krajicek, who integrated alphabeats into his training routine before capturing Olympic silver in Paris. Or Dewi Weber, who uses it to maintain clarity during crucial moments on the golf course. These athletes understand something crucial: mental fitness requires the same dedicated training as physical fitness.
The Missing Link: Sleep & Recovery
Of course peak mental and physical performance isn't just about training, it's also about recovery. It’s another idea most of us get intuitively, but the data is just recently starting to show us how (thanks in part to all of the wearables we use that track it.)
That's why our recently announced partnership with SleepScore Labs, the global leader in sleep science and technology trusted by brands like NASA, Therabody, and Mattress Firm, is so exciting. Their technology translates and transforms data from over 500 wearables into actionable insights about your sleep patterns and their impact on performance.
Consider this: according to McKinsey, sleep ranks as consumers' second-highest health priority, yet remains the area with the most unmet needs. Our users already report improved sleep and recovery when using alphabeats. Through this partnership, you will get clearer insights into how your sleep affects your mental training and vice versa, and your full performance cycle in turn.
When should you schedule intense mental or physical training sessions? How does last night's sleep quality affect your ability to reach alpha states or perform at whatever task you have ahead? What adjustments can you make to improve, given your sleep and recovery for the day? These are the questions this partnership and its solutions will address.
SleepScore Labs brings extensive scientific validation to this partnership, having conducted studies with over 10,000 participants through their research division. This aligns perfectly with our commitment to rigorous testing and measurable results, and vision of mental fitness that considers both training and recovery as essential parts of the performance equation.
The Future of Performance Training
This integration of sleep science into mental training is just the beginning. At CES 2025, we're also unveiling our vision for the alphabeats performance collective, a coalition of sorts that gathers experts across disciplines to advance human performance.
Peak performance doesn't come from just one thing. It's built on multiple pillars - mental training, sleep, nutrition, and physical conditioning. The alphabeats performance collective brings together experts in all these fields to think outside the box when it comes to personal performance and the solutions to drive it.
The alphabeats performance collective represents our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in mental fitness. As we continue to expand this ecosystem throughout 2025, our users will be the first to benefit from these advances in performance science.
What This Means For You
These advances in mental training technology mark an exciting evolution for alphabeats and our community. While we're showcasing these innovations at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, what matters most is how they'll enhance your mental training experience.
Our partnership with SleepScore Labs and the formation of the alphabeats performance collective demonstrate what we've learned from working with elite athletes and performers: Peak performance requires a holistic approach that includes both training and recovery.
If you're already part of the alphabeats community, get ready for exciting new integrations in the year ahead. If you haven't started your mental training journey yet, there's never been a better time to join the athletes and performers who are transforming their mental game with alphabeats.
Training your mind is as essential as training your body. Start or continue your journey at listenalphabeats.com.