Hypnotherapy for Insomnia
You Can Overcome Insomnia with Hypnotherapy
Sleep is one of the most important components for optimal health. Studies show that a healthy adult needs to sleep for an average of 8 hours a day. However, given hectic schedules many people do not have sufficient time for sleeping. In addition, internet and phones won’t let people sleep at night. Such a lack of sleep can collect as sleep debt and cause a lot of health problems.
Sleep disorders can affect different people in different ways. For instance, some people have a hard time falling asleep; others may not sleep soundly through the night while yet some others may never seem to get enough sleep to wake up fresh and invigorated. In either scenario, sleep deprivation of any sort takes a toll on the quality of life and overall health of the individual.
Among these disorders, insomnia is one in which disturbed sleep patterns or associated daytime fatigue brings about significant distress in important areas of functioning. As a result, your health may begin to suffer since you cannot be healthy without adequate quality sleep.
When you suffer from insomnia you do not get enough hours of sleep and experience interrupted sleep. As a result, you may feel easily irritable, have difficulty concentrating, react slowly to situations, or experience the urge to take a nap at every given chance. You may also experience difficulty controlling emotions and develop a heavy dependence on caffeine to keep you going through the day.
Insomniacs also experience reduced energy, along with a reliance on sleep aides to fall asleep. However, these symptoms are not limited to feelings of lassitude and sluggishness during the day but can also have emotional impact on the individual. Studies show that people who sleep for short hours often suffer from depression and other mental health issues as well.
How Can Hypnotherapy Help?'
Insomnia can be a chronic, disabling condition that can have a detrimental effect on all aspects of your life. However, you can turn to curative hypnotherapy to help you manage this condition.
As compared to other conditions treatable by hypnosis, such as smoking or sugar addiction, which are voluntary, insomnia is involuntary. You have no control over it and you definitely cannot force it. In fact, you may not even be aware of the reason why you are not able to sleep. And the problem only worsens because for some reason, you subconscious does not want you to sleep.
In a 2006 study on hypnosis for treatment of insomnia in school age children, results revealed that after a single or two hypnosis sessions, 90% of the 70 participants stated a reduction in sleep onset time after hypnosis. From among the 21 participants who reported waking up during the night more than once a week, 52% expressed no more awakenings while 38% expressed improvement.
So research establishes that hypnotherapy can tap into your subconscious to identify the triggers of the problem. Hypnosis for insomnia aims to teach you how to relax so sleep can come easily. Hypnotherapists use various relaxation techniques to help lower tension of any kind and also develop a routine.
A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Psychological Studies involved a case study of one male student who suffered from insomnia for six months. The subject also suffered from OCD and was instructed in the technique of self-hypnosis. At the end of the study, the participant showed a reduction in the time needed to sleep, an increase in the time staying asleep and a reduction in disruptions during sleep sessions.
Most hypnotherapists will also recommend pairing up hypnosis with non-hypnotic techniques such as developing a sleep routine, setting a no-technology rule, monitoring food and drink intake before sleeping and not exercising too close to sleep time. Other suggestions may include sleeping in a dark room, wear comfortable clothing, use breathable bed linen, and keeping the bedroom at a comfortable temperature for an improved sleep experience.
