Hypnotherapy for Insomnia & Sleep Issues
Here is my latest blog about what you can do to get a better night’s sleep.
Feeling tired or having trouble sleeping?
If you feel like the cogs are always turning as you lay frustrated in bed wishing for sleep to descend you are not alone.
According to the Guardian, up to one in four people in the UK are suffering from insomnia or disrupted sleep, up from one in six pre Covid and lockdown. Anxiety-related sleep issues are thought to affect women especially mothers, key workers and people from a minority ethnic background more acutely.
The Guardian suggests that ‘Social isolation, loss of employment, financial problems, illness, fear of getting infected with coronavirus and the pressures of juggling work and home-schooling’ all have contributed to the rise in sleep issues.
What is insomnia or disrupted sleep?
Worry-related sleep loss and poor sleep patterns are features of insomnia and disrupted sleep.
According to the NHS, you may have insomnia or sleep issues for months or sometimes years. If you regularly experience any of the following you may be having sleep issues:
Find it hard to go to sleep
Wake up several times during the night
Lie awake at night
Wake up early and cannot go back to sleep
Still feel tired after waking up
Find it hard to nap during the day even though you're tired
Feel tired and irritable during the day
Find it difficult to concentrate during the day because you're tired
Up to a third of Britons will experience sleep problems in their lifetime and can be a sign of stress, anxiety or depression.
On average an adult will need between 7 - 9 hours sleep to not feel tired in the day.
Why Sleep Matters
As the Dalai Lama says ‘Sleep is the best meditation’.
Sleep is the time when your body and mind are in the ‘rest and digest’ system and your body can naturally restore and heal from the day. This means that you may feel more run down or take longer to recover from injury if you struggle to get enough sleep.
It’s the same for your mind.
Deep, REM sleep allows your brain to process the events of the day as well as restoring the chemical balance needed for mental wellbeing.
You probably find that when you struggle to sleep well your mood is changeable, your impulsiveness increases and your ability to manage your thoughts is impaired.
How to Have a Better Night’s Sleep
Here are my top tips for getting a better night's sleep:
Become more aware of what content you are consuming just before bed.
Avoid work emails, twitter, the news or anything that is designed to make you think and create stress.
Thinking is inextricably linked to your body’s physiological levels. The less you think, the less tension you are holding.
Listen to a mindfulness meditation.
Become more aware of the thoughts you are having, then creating space between yourself and your thoughts, letting them go without judgment.
Try imagining yourself placing your thoughts onto a conveyor belt. Notice the thoughts and then gently allow them to pass without trying to control them by forcing them away quickly.
You can access meditations on a number of apps and youtube including Headspace, Chopra and Insights. Find one that works for you or watch this one on my Instagram.
Avoid vigorous exercise before bed.
High adrenaline levels are not ideal for sleep. Trying something less intense and more gentle. (Sex is great for sleep as it triggers the same physiological relaxation system).
Minimise phone use in bed.
Using screens just before bed is not great for sleep as they emit the dreaded blue light that keeps you awake by lowering your sleep hormones. Keeping screens out of the bedroom is a good habit to start with so that you are not tempted to check it.
Avoid or lower your alcohol intake.
You might find it easy to pass out after a few drinks but you’ll be having less of that deep, rejuvenating REM sleep. If cutting it out completely feels too hard, try cutting down at first or having regular alcohol free days.
Relaxation is the absence of effort and energy exerted. Aim to do less thinking and moving before bed for better sleep.
How can Hypnotherapy Help with Insomnia or Other Sleep Issues
Hypnotherapy aims to improve both the ease in which you fall asleep and the quality of the sleep you are getting.
Together over only a handful of sessions we will focus on:
Increasing overall relaxation throughout the day and lowering stress levels especially in the evening
Calming the mind of racing thoughts and worries that are keeping you awake
Accepting your thoughts and allowing them to pass rather than being consumed by them at night
Relaxing the whole body physically and releasing any stress, tension and adrenaline which may be contributing to keeping you awake.
Shine a light on your sleep routine and look into sleep hygiene in depth so that you can improve your evening routine.
Creating specially designed meditations for you to use at night that include suggestions and visualisations that will help you fall asleep quickly and deeply.
If you would like help with improving your sleep so that you can feel more rested, contact me here to book a free 15min consultation call.
Rachel x