February 8, 2010
How Insomnia Can Be Relieved By Hypnosis
 |
Difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep can be related to stress, or anxiety about events or situations in our lives. Our minds keep dwelling on what is stressing us out... |
Difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep can be related to stress, or anxiety about events or situations in our lives. Our minds keep dwelling on what is stressing us out and we cannot relax enough to drift off to sleep. Another reason for not being able to sleep may simply be bad sleep habits. Habits like too much noise, too much sugar at bedtime or habitual late night activities that keep us up until wee hours of the morning. Then our bodies have become accustomed to staying up late, and then when we try to go to bed earlier our bodies are confused and unable to change sleep patterns. Habits are learned and can be unlearned. Hypnosis is one way to "unlearn" bad habits.
Hypnosis is used to help "re-educate" your mind regarding the enjoyment derived from getting a good sleep. Hypnosis can also be used to instill good relaxation techniques for slowing your mind and body down at the end of the day, so that at bedtime your are in a much more relaxed state of mind and can then more easily fall asleep.
Those who have a difficult time falling asleep often have a "racing mind". Their mind is constantly thinking about worries, events of the day, problems they need to solve. This is a common sleep problem and is a bi-product of our fast-paced modern lifestyle.
There are two categories of sleep problems; those who cannot fall asleep and those who wake up early and then fail to be able to fall back to sleep. Hypnosis can help with these two categories by addressing the anxieties that keep us awake and other issues like teeth grinding that wake us up earlier than we would normally wake up.
Understanding what makes us fall asleep is what hypnosis and sleep is all about. The moments before we nod off are described as "being in an hypnotic state". We are drowsy, and experience a warm, comfortable, altered relaxed state. Hypnosis can help teach you how to put yourself into this "hypnotic state" on demand. Tips to getting yourself into this "hypnotic state":
A warm bath can relax and warm your muscles creating a relaxed and drowsy state of mind. Drinking warm milk can also induce a sleepy state of mind.
Avoid stimulants like drinks with caffeine, foods that contain caffeine like chocolates.
The bed can be a source of irritation (lumpy, smelly, too hard or too soft surface). Making sure that you have a good mattress can be sleep inducive.
Make sure you have a physically active day so that you are physically tired at the end of the day.
Get up early in the morning. Sleeping in can give you a delayed sence of when the day is over.
Avoid naps, brightly lit clocks, and using your bed for other activities than for just sleeping.
Other techniques that make help you to induce the "drowsy state":
No TV or reading before bedtime (too stimulating – especially the news or science fiction and action-drama books)
Practice deep breathing exercises
Create a peaceful visual picture in your mind and actually hear, see and feel your surrounding in the picture.
Physical ways to relax and induce sleep:
Stretching, toe wiggling, rubbing your stomach, yawning
Misc. Tips for creating that sleep pattern:
Train your mind to think about relaxing events in your life instead of allowing your mind to wonder over problems, or the events of the day.
Physical activity at the end of the day that will tire you out, such as going for a walk, aerobics, having sex.
A bedtime routine that invites your body to sleep that includes warm milk, warm bath, and slow methodic melodies.