conditions - Insomnia

Most of us are familiar with that occasional feeling of not having had enough sleep. It may be we found it hard to get to sleep, woke up without having had enough sleep, or had an un-refreshing night’s sleep. Almost a quarter of the population experience frequent sleeping difficulties and it becomes more common with increasing age so that by the age of 65 it affects about a third of us.

People differ in their need for sleep. While the exact function of sleep is not fully understood, the effects of lack of sleep suggest that its main purpose is to allow the mind and body to rest and repair. Without adequate sleep we become irritable, anxious and even have hallucinations. The irritability that results from insomnia may affect partners, families and work colleagues. Accidents are more common and also physical illness.

What to do? These are the usual suggestions: Avoid taking cat-naps during the day. Reduce the number of cups of coffee, tea or cola drinks you drink, especially later on in the day. Only drink alcohol in moderation. It may bring on sleepiness, but will tend cause early waking. Stop smoking – nightime breathing problems are more likely in smokers. Take regular exercise, but avoid strenuous activity immediately before going to bed. Try to get into a daily routine. Go to bed the same time each night and get up the same time each morning. Avoid heavy or rich meals, especially in the few hours before bedtime. Work out how many hours sleep you can manage with before daytime sleepiness becomes a problem. Becoming unnecessarily stressed over insomnia can lead to a vicious cycle. If you can't sleep, get up and read in a dim light until you feel sleepy. Don't watch television or lie in bed thinking about how much sleep you are missing. Other activities that can create a relaxed mood include taking a warm bath, having a milky drink, or listening to soothing music. Mentally dealing with the day's unfinished business is also helpful. Writing down any worries to deal with the next day may help to clear them from the mind and prevent them re-surfacing in the early hours.

So how could hypnotherapy help? It teaches relaxation, one of the key elements in falling asleep. First you learn to relax physically and then you tackle how to relax mentally. This can be difficult but learning self-hypnosis is the solution. You can become an expert at falling asleep.

In fact, people often see a hypnotherapist for something unrelated and are amazed that their sleep improves too. An empowering effect of self-hypnosis is learning to change things for yourself. Hypnosis will help you take control and re-educate your mind into relaxing easily into sleep. Hypnosis can also help you to learn how to just slow down. When you want to fall asleep, a racing mind won’t help.