Self-Hypnosis for Insomnia

No one likes the tossing and turning of a restless, sleepless night. Not only does insomnia have a negative impact on how you feel during the day; people who have chronic insomnia eventually experience serious physical effects and a deterioration of their mental health.

You can help ease symptoms associated with insomnia and even rid your life of insomnia completely. In addition to good sleep habits—including going to bed and waking up at the same and sleeping in a cool, comfortable place—self-hypnosis techniques can be particularly effective in helping you overcome insomnia.

How Does Self-Hypnosis for Insomnia Work?

Insomnia is often the result of an overactive mind. A stressful day may keep your mind whirling all night, or you may be going through a stressful time in your life that keeps you up for months on end.

Self-hypnosis gives you a focused state of mind that enables you to relax and rest well. When used in conjunction with good sleep habits, self-hypnosis for insomnia may help you become aware of the fears and anxieties that otherwise prevent you from getting a good night's sleep.

Using Self-Hypnosis Techniques for Insomnia

As with all self-hypnosis techniques, practice self-hypnosis for insomnia in a quiet, comfortable place. Below are steps for a self-hypnosis technique that you can practice before bed to help prevent insomnia:

1. Lie down on your back and breathe slowly.
2. Tell yourself that every time you breathe out, you will feel more relaxed. Eventually use self hypnosis induction techniques like counting down from ten to one or visualize descending a flight of stairs
3. Tense and release your muscles slowly and imagine yourself in a peaceful place, such as a quiet garden or at the beach.
4. Repeat the same slow breathing pattern as you continue to imagine this place. Pay attention to the sights and sounds you see and hear in this place.

As you continue to imagine yourself in your peaceful place, tell yourself you feel relaxed, and you will most likely fall asleep. This means that self-hypnosis for insomnia worked for you.

If you continue to feel restless, you might need the help of a hypnotherapist to learn relaxation techniques or to get to the root cause of your insomnia.

See your doctor if your insomnia continues. Your doctor can check for other health problems and suggest other insomnia treatments that may work better for you.

Resources

Gravelle, M. (2005). Coping with insomnia using hypnosis and self-hypnosis.Retrieved August 25, 2010, from http://www.hypnosis.edu/articles/insomnia

Holistic Online. (n.d.). Alternative and integral therapies.Retrieved August 25, 2010, from http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/sleep/sleep_ins_hypnotherapy.htm