Sleep Disturbances
Hypnosis is often touted as a natural help for chronic sleep disturbances, a problem estimated to affect millions of Americans each year. Although hypnosis has yet to be extensively studied in the help of sleep-related conditions, the existing research hints that hypnosis may be of some use in achieving sounder sleep.
The effects of hypnosis on sleep
Hypnosis is a trance-like state of mind during which the hypnotized individual experiences deep relaxation, focused attention, and greater openness to suggestion.
It is believed that hypnosis is a way to gain greater access to the individual's unconscious mind, while at the same time lessening the likelihood that the subject will inject conscious worries, anxiety, or redirection into the process of help.
How Hypnosis is Induced
Although hypnosis is often induced by our hypnotist, self-hypnosis techniques are commonly used in the help of sleeping disturbances. Some research suggests that self-hypnosis may improve sleep by redirecting patients' attention away from anxiety, producing thoughts that promote relaxation.
Hypnosis is, in many ways, similar to the experience of losing track of time while watching a movie or while daydreaming. While we are not hallucinating, we have stopped actively attending to our physical surroundings -- and we are focused on an internal reality.
Self-hypnosis, therefore, isn't as tricky as it may sound. Guided imagery is a tried-and-true method of self-hypnosis; many are available online or as tapes, or you can create your own guided imagery. Simple imagery includes imagining each body part becoming heavier, descending into sleep on an elevator, or relaxing in the warm sun.
Benefits of Hypnosis for Sleep
When paired with sleep hygiene instructions, hypnosis may help ease insomnia, according to a research review published in 2007. The review also found that hypnosis may be useful in the help of nightmares, sleep terrors, bed wetting, and sleepwalking. However, the review's authors caution that most of the existing evidence is limited to findings from very small studies.
In another report published the same year, scientists noted that hypnosis shows promise in the help of sleep disturbances, stating that there is "an immediate need for research evaluating the efficacy of hypnosis in the management of sleep disturbance."
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