WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A doctor and the chair of The Wake Forest School of Medicine Department of Neurology said over 30 percent of Americans deal with insomnia.

Dr. Charles Tegeler said he has been working on treating patients with insomnia with a non-invasive, drug-free approach for years. In his approach, patients listen to the sound of their own brain waves.

"It reflects brain waves in real time using acoustic stimulation," Tegeler says. "The recipient in essence listens to the brain, listens to the song their brain is playing if you will. It has an opportunity for the brain to look at itself in an acoustic mirror."

To make the treatment possible, technologists hook sensors up to the patient.

"I really liked this option of relaxation and really just decompressing, and allowing me time to relax, reflect, and renew," patient Julienne Kirk said. According to her, she now has reduced symptoms of insomnia and is sleeping much better.

While Tegeler said he has been working on the treatment for years, he was most recently published for his randomized, blind, placebo trial.