(This blog was originally posted on March 12, 2014) |
| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
Insomnia
is described as an inability to sleep through the night. It may be manifested
as a difficulty falling asleep or waking up frequently during the night so the
person does not have a restful sleep. Physiological causes of insomnia can
include hunger or a drop in blood-sugar level. However, the most common cause
of insomnia is worry, which makes this condition one of the easiest behavior
problems to treat, said Hypnosis Motivation Institute
founder John Kappas, Ph.D.
When
I work with a client to improve the person’s quality and quantity of sleep, the
first thing I do is to help the person enter a deeply relaxed state of calm and
comfort. When the individual is in hypnosis, I help him or her to deepen this
sensation of comfort and dozy relaxation through breathing and progressive
relaxation exercises. I also establish one or two physical anchors (e.g., the
finger press) that the person can use to activate this relaxed, dozy relaxation
when the person climbs into bed for sleep. I incorporate the client’s
reasons/desire to sleep through the night and his or her
suggestibility—physical (direct and literal) or emotional (inferential) to
craft a customized suggestion for sleep. The ideal sleep suggestion is one that
will induce the client to sleep “quickly, soundly and deeply throughout the
night and will awaken in the morning feeling completely rested. The mind will
be alert and active,” Dr. Kappas said.
Post-hypnotic
suggestions to drift into sleep include reinforcing the person’s sensation of
feeling deeply relaxed, comfortable and free of stress. Using therapeutic
guided imagery, I may also help the client to create a special box or safe in
which to store or “lock away” any worries or concerns in order to get a good
night’s sleep. (I reassure the client that he or she can always “unlock” the
box and take out those issues to work on in the morning, if they haven’t
already resolved themselves during the good night’s sleep.) I will also provide
a final suggestion that the person will release in a venting dream any and all
of the stresses or worries that have previously prevented the client from
enjoying a sound, deep, full night’s sleep.
Following are some other practical
suggestions to help sleep through the night:
·
Do not to watch television or play video games
an hour before you plan to go to sleep (these activities can mentally arouse
you too much to sleep).
·
Do not to take any sleep aids or drink alcohol
to help you nod off: sleep aids can inhibit REM sleep and dreaming; and you are
likely to wake up again once the alcohol has worn off.
·
Have a bedtime snack that includes some form of
protein. A piece of roasted turkey or a glass of milk is a great choice because
both of these items contain tryptophan, which is believed to induce sleep. Eating
something before bed will also reduce the likelihood of becoming hungry during
the night, which is associated with insomnia.
·
While you are in bed, practice diaphragmatic
breathing. Draw a breath through your nose, deep into your lungs, hold it for
four seconds and release through your mouth. Repeat this breathing four or five
times until you feel your body has released any of the remaining tension that
you have been holding onto during the day.
·
Once you are in bed, if your mind is still
whirring from the day, count backward from 100 as you preparing to fall asleep.
“Counting will help to put [you] in a completely relaxed and restful state that
will facilitate falling asleep,” Dr. Kappas explained.
·
Systematically tighten and then relax specific
groups of muscles in your body, starting with the muscles in your face and
neck, then down to the shoulders, back, arms, hands, abdomen, waist and hips,
thighs, feet and toes. As you do this exercise, visualize, imagine, picture or
pretend that every area that you stretch and relax makes you feel progressively
relaxed and sleepy. It is perfectly fine if you drift off to sleep before you
complete this exercise!
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the
Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about
Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2014
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