Sleep
Hypnosis For Sleep Anxiety and Disorder
Sleep disorders are a big problem in our society and to date, nobody has come up with an effective medication to treat it. Sleep hygiene may help to a certain degree, but what do you do if you’ve already tried that?
Before you book in with a hypnotherapist, it’s important to know that there are 2 categories of insomnia, and only one of these will respond favourably to hypnotherapy.
Hypnotherapy for Organic Insomnia
The first type of insomnia is what I call organic insomnia, which means the cause is physiological. Some causal factors include:
- Hormonal changes at any stage of life and especially in menopause;
- Stopping or starting any medications that affect the brain such as antidepressants or benzodiazepines;
- Nutrition problems, blood sugar and other aspects that affect brain chemistry and hormones;
- Sleep Apnoea
If you fall into this category, then hypnosis is unlikely to help, because I can’t change your brain chemistry or anything else going on in your body.
Often what happens is the insomnia may have initially been triggered by a stressful life situation, and the person has been advised to take benzodiazepines or hypnotic medications.
Unfortunately, some people develop dependency on these medications fairly quickly, and then they start to experience rebound insomnia, as a result. If you struggle with the organic sleeping disorder, you can overcome your condition with hypnotherapy.
Hypnosis for Emotional Insomnia
The second type of insomnia is often related to your life situation. For example:
- Relationship issues;
- Work issues;
- Family issues;
As a result of these pressures and obstacles people can sometimes experience an interruption to their normal sleeping patterns, which may last for quite a while.
In these kinds of situations, hypnosis is an excellent tool because it allows space for the client to unpack and process the causes, change any negative beliefs and come back to a healthy sleep pattern.
Hypnosis for Sleep Anxiety
If you have more than a few bad nights of sleep you may start to get worried that this is going to be a permanent problem.
Then the anxiety about falling asleep and staying asleep actually causes more insomnia. This is referred to as sleep anxiety.
Symptoms of sleep anxiety include:
- A sense of dread at the thought of going to bed;
- Negative mind projections such as: ‘What if I never sleep again?’;
- Clock watching and obsessive bedtime rituals to ‘try’ to fall asleep;
- Feelings of depression and powerlessness
In fact, this is the most common condition I treat, because by the time people find me, they have often already gone down the medication route and when this hasn’t worked they become very concerned.
How My Hypnosis Treats Sleep Disorders and Problems
When I work with clients for Insomnia and sleep anxiety, I gather lots of information so I can determine any emotional causal factors.
I explore negative beliefs about sleep that may be stopping the client from getting a good night’s rest, and every appointment with me includes a hypnotherapy session where I can address these factors thoroughly.
I teach my clients how to:
- Detach from the thoughts and mind chatter that come up when they are in bed;
- Stop ‘trying’ to fall asleep and let the body take over;
- Let go of all anxiety about not sleeping;
- Become a calmer, more relaxed person
Feel free to give me a call and learn how hypnotherapy can support your sleep journey.
CASE STUDY: Mary Only Slept 2 Hours A Night
My client Mary was a terrible insomniac.
This had been a pattern since she was a little girl. Now at the tender age of 76, she had decided it was time to do something about her it.
When I asked Mary what kept her up at night she told me she felt compelled to be doing something useful and constructive all the time – even at night while others around her were soundly sleeping.
Despite her body crying out for sleep, her mind seemed to believe this was not a worthwhile activity. Further exploration revealed that when she was very young, her grandmother used to say ‘the devil makes work for idle hands.’ Bingo!! There was a belief that had to go.
As Mary was telling me about her problems with sleeping, she kept saying ‘this is how I’ve always been’.
I encouraged her to challenge that thought, because it implies ‘therefore this is how I will always be’. After working with me, Mary began to sleep 6-7 hours per night. Thrilled with her results, she said: ‘now whenever I say ‘this is how I’ve always been’, I always end it with: ‘but I’m changing!’
If there is an emotional or subconscious cause for your wakefulness, a certified hypnotherapist can identify any beliefs, thoughts or behaviour patterns that may be contributing to your sleep problems.
The best way to find out if hypnosis is the right tool for you is to speak directly to a qualified clinical hypnotherapist.
As a certified hypnotherapist in Melbourne, I provide tailored hypnotherapy treatments to address various sleep-related problems, including sleep anxiety and disorders. Whether you’re struggling with insomnia, difficulty sleeping through the night, or other sleep problems, hypnosis can offer effective support. If you’re ready to explore how hypnotherapy can help improve your sleep, call me today or contact me to book an appointment.