Sleep Hypnosis: Does It Work
Sleep disorders mainly involve trouble in falling asleep or repeated awakening throughout the night. In either case, the patient does not reach normal sleep patterns and ends up feeling tired in the morning.
Hypnosis is one method of curing sleep disorders that originate from stress and emotional difficulties, and that cannot be treated through changes in lifestyle or medication.
Bed-wetting and insomnia are some of the disorders that can be treated using hypnosis. This method has been in use for a large number of years, and has been proven to be effective. Hypnosis helps in identifying the inner turmoil that may be causing the sleep disruption.
A hypnotized person enters a trance-like state and responds to voice or image of the therapist. In this situation the patient will be open to suggestions within limited focus.
During this stage, the therapist can explore the reasons for stress and help the patient to get a proper rest and calmness of the mind. A method of encouragement provided by the voice of the therapist will help to address issues arising from memories, images and emotions.
However, hypnotic sleep is not quite the same as normal sleep. Slowly the therapist can influence the mind and body and help the patient to attain a normal night’s sleep. Hypnosis can help the patient to relax his mind and body, thus preventing the worries from hindering his sleep. Gradually the patient will be able to find relaxation and get restful sleep.
The kinds of disorders that can be cured through hypnosis are bedwetting, insomnia, nightmares and sleepwalking.
Bedwetting, often seen in children from about five years of age, can be treated through hypnosis by identifying its reasons. Insomnia, caused by depression, emotional disturbances etc. can be cured by hypnosis.
Nightmares may be caused by anxiety or severe stress and can be treated by calming the mind through hypnosis.
Sleep walking occurs during the deep sleep stage and can be cured through hypnotic-induced treatment. Hypnosis is sometimes used together with other methods like medication, sleep diaries or therapy. For minor sleep difficulties, self-hypnosis is one method to attain a state of relaxation.
The steps detailed below have to be followed daily, till the body learns to relax itself with minimum effort.
- Lie on your back, close your eyes and make yourself comfortable.
- Keep your arms across your abdomen without touching each other.
- Take a few slow, deep breaths.
- Beginning at the toes, slowly flex and release muscles, keeping your mind focused on each part. Travel thus to the shoulders and to the fingertips.
- When your mind wanders to random thoughts, bring it back and focus on relaxing.
- Start a count down from 10 or 20. With each step, imagine that you’re slowly descending from an elevated point to the next lower one that is more relaxed.
- When the count of ‘one’ is reached, you should have reached a state of complete relaxation, or may even have fallen asleep! The countdown can be increased to a higher number if required.
An alternate method is to record a soft voice narrating the procedure. This way, you will be following the recorded instructions to focus on each body part and relax the muscles.
You can also play soft music in the background for a soothing and relaxing environment. Self-hypnosis is best when done in the room where you sleep, under the exact conditions in which you normally sleep.
Do not use bright lights or loud music as they would hinder the relaxation process. Another good place for practicing relaxation is a garden with the sound of running water in the background.