Hypnotherapy can help you to overcome insomnia
Getting sleep at night is an easy, effortless and a natural activity.
Most of us wouldn’t even be bothered about it. But more than 30% of our population is suffering from an inability to fall asleep.
If you are reading this article, most probably you or your loved one is experiencing some of the following symptoms:
- Have difficulty falling asleep at night
- Waking up during the night
- Waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep
- Feeling tired and exhausted in the morning
- Constant worry about inability to sleep
- Difficulty to focus and concentrate
Why is sleep important?
Just like our mobile phones need to be charged every day, we need to recharge our energies too. We need a good night sleep.
How much sleep is enough varies from person to person. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Sleep is an essential survival skill, though it appears as if the mind and body are shut down, but there are lots of processes going on while we are asleep. During the sleep, we process the information we have received throughout the day, we consolidate the short -term memories in to long term memories. Our physical body is engaged in synthesizing hormones, repairing tissues, healing and restoring our body to its optimal wellbeing. As a result, when we wake up, we are fully charged, rested, with increased ability to focus, concentrate and learn.
What can insomnia cause?
Insomnia affects our physical, mental and emotional health equally.
It increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes.
It increases stress, anxiety, depression, mood swings, inability to take decisions, irritability and anger.
It kills sex drive, causes skin to age faster, creates hormonal Imbalance and causes weight gain, etc.
What Causes insomnia?
There are lot of different reasons that can lead to insomnia. Sometimes its temporary phase and we grow out of it; this could be caused by taking too much caffeine, or being worried about a particular incident that makes you anxious.
It could be triggered by any change in your life, such as a change of residence or work place; some people experience inability to fall a sleep even with the change of a mattress. Often sleep can be disrupted with travel through different time zones. There are many ways how we deal with these situations. We change a few things in our lifestyle – and sleep is restored to its normalcy again. For example, taking less caffeine during the day, engaging in physical activity, reading a book, talking to a friend or taking a glass of red wine can do the trick.
However, there are other causes of insomnia that needs to be addressed in therapy.
These are Physical and Mental health conditions
Chronic Pain and other physical health conditions
Physical pain is the number one cause of insomnia. People with chronic pain find it very difficult to fall asleep. Often they use painkillers as a coping mechanism.
During the day they are engaged in different activities and the mind is distracted from the pain. But at night, when the body needs to relax, mind is completely focused on pain. What you focus on expands and perception of pain is increased. This creates more stressed, and a vicious circle begins.
Frequent urination and breathing problems can cause sleep disturbance.
Stress
When you are under the lot of stress you might not be able to sleep.
Constant Stress changes your hormonal balance and causes many physical diseases. Its important to manage your stress levels and learn to respond differently to them, rather then loosing the sleep over it.
Anxiety
When you are worried and nervous about something it causes anxiety.
Sometimes you are consciously aware of what makes you anxious; and at other times you have no clue, it feels as if you are constantly worried without any reason.
Many clients experience anxiety because their mind is occupied with thoughts like – I shouldn’t be sleeping now, there is a lot to do and no time left, I shouldn’t forget this, I have to do that perfectly etc.
These are racing thoughts because of which they are unable to fall a sleep.
Others complain of thinking about the past, re-living unhappy incidents, criticizing themselves and their behavior.
And then of course there is an anxiety about anxiety of not getting sleep.
Insomnia itself causes stress and anxiety; it is a vicious circle that needs professional intervention to for it to stop.
Depression
Some clients with depression experience inability to sleep.
Depression is the feeling of emptiness, hopelessness and despair – often expressed as a sinking feeling. There is no pleasure in any activity, and no interest in life. These feelings are so overwhelming at times that it keeps a person awake.
How can hypnotherapy help you?
“Hypnos” is a Greek word which means Sleep. There is a lot of similarity between sleep and hypnosis and both these states are always interchangeable. All of us experience hypnosis minimum twice a day, before falling asleep and upon waking. (There is a transition from waking –to hypnosis -to sleep and then from sleep to hypnosis to waking up).
- Hypnotherapy focuses attention on the problems that disrupt the sleep. A qualified hypnotherapist should be able to identify this cause and provide specific therapeutic sessions required.
- Hypnosis is a process in which you learn how to relax your body and mind. This is a very important and helps to fall asleep. Hypnotherapist will train you in self hypnosis that needs to be practiced everyday.
- Hypnosis is integral part of stress reduction.
- Hypnotherapy helps to change the habit or behavior that can be the cause of insomnia, such as addiction to alcohol, caffeine, internet, etc.
- During hypnosis, positive suggestions about deep, sound sleep are given to subconscious mind that brings positive change in behavior.
- Hypnotherapy is used for pain management (for chronic pains).
- Hypnotherapy complements the existing treatment for depression and anxiety and helps clients to improve their sleep habits.