Sleep is something everybody needs. It plays a vital role in both our physical and mental health. But, sleeping problems, such as insomnia, can make it difficult for some people to get enough sleep.
As well as making you feel tired, lack of sleep can lead to physical illness and increase your risk of heart disease. Mentally, not getting enough sleep can lead to anxiety and can make it hard for you to concentrate.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is defined as difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning.
Most of us will have experienced a disrupted sleep and will know how it feels when you can’t seem to fall asleep. It may be that you’re thinking about the next day or have had a coffee too near to bedtime. Perhaps you found it easy to fall asleep, but continue to wake up through the night. Either way, a rough sleep can leave you feeling drained and irritable the next day. Those who suffer from insomnia will experience these feelings regularly.
Symptoms of insomnia
Symptoms differ depending on individual circumstances. However, there are common symptoms, including:
- Being awake for long periods at night.
- Not being able to fall asleep.
- Waking up several times during the night.
- Waking up very early and being unable to get back to sleep.
- Feeling tired and groggy the next morning.
- Finding it difficult to concentrate or function properly.
- Feeling irritable.
Hypnotherapy for insomnia
Hypnotherapy for insomnia can tackle any potential causes while helping you relax and drop off to sleep. For example, if anxiety or depression is the source of your insomnia, hypnosis for sleep may complement your existing treatment. Overcoming these issues may then help to improve your sleeping pattern. Alternatively, if a habit is causing your insomnia (such as alcohol) hypnotherapy for insomnia can work to break this habit.
The worry, tension, and anxiety that may be keeping you from falling asleep fades away as the suggestions planted by hypnosis therapy help your mind and body to relax and get the sleep you deserve.
An important part of hypnotherapy for insomnia is teaching you how to relax. For some people, physical or mental tension can make sleeping difficult. I use relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation to help reduce tension.
Often, I will teach you self-hypnosis. This can help you to develop a routine, as well as learn how to deal with your triggers causing the problem. Using hypnosis for insomnia at home will help you take the tools you’ve learnt in the session room into your everyday life.
The number of hypnotherapy sessions you’ll need will depend on your personal circumstances. Some people only need one session, while others may require deeper work. When suffering from insomnia for a long period of time, the patterns of sleep disturbances can become embedded in your subconscious. Hypnosis for insomnia aims to communicate with this and suggest positive changes. These suggestions will look to break the negative thought patterns causing the problem.