Sleep problems occur in approximately 15% of the population. Some scientists believe that they come from childhood. Those children who were not taught to fall asleep on their own in infancy, but used various methods, such as rocking, sucking on a pacifier or breast, as well as others, have problems falling asleep in adulthood. Another point of view claims that you can cope with sleep problems on your own, without resorting to drug therapy, and that these problems have nothing to do with childhood. Insomnia depletes the human body. Various methods are used to combat it. One of them is hypnosis for sleep, which we will talk about in this publication.
Kinds
There are several types of hypnosis for insomnia. The main types are:
- Classic hypnosis . This type is used much more often than others. During this procedure, the patient is given direct instructions. A person is put into a trance when suggestibility increases.
- Hypnosis by Milton Erickson . To influence the patient, several conditions must be met. There must be contact at the level of facial expressions. The specialist’s speech should be heartfelt.
- Regressive hypnosis . This is the most complex and interesting type. With its help, the patient can be immersed in memories of the past. In this state, a person can remember in detail not only his youth and childhood, but also his time in the womb.
- Self-hypnosis . All actions are performed using the method of self-hypnosis of certain attitudes.
- Gypsy hypnosis . This species is passed on between gypsies from father to son. It's very effective. Therefore, you should not communicate with gypsies and look them in the eyes.
Important! All manipulations should be carried out only by an experienced specialist.
Preparatory stage
First you need to find a person who has a sincere desire to undergo a session. This is a must. If the hypnotized person does not believe in the effectiveness of hypnotherapy and does not want to succumb to it, then it is extremely difficult to put him into a trance, especially for a novice hypnotist. People who have mental disorders cannot be put into a state of altered consciousness. The procedure can cause a relapse and lead to serious and sometimes dangerous consequences.
You need to prepare the place where the session will be held. This implies the following points:
- Choose a quiet room where the person will feel peaceful and comfortable.
- Minimizing lighting and keeping the room as clear as possible will help the person being hypnotized to concentrate on the words and actions of the hypnotist.
- Turn off cell phones and other means of communication for the duration of the session.
- Close all windows if it is noisy outside.
- Warn all close people living in the house (apartment) not to enter the room until the session is completed.
Before the procedure, talk with your partner. The patient should know what to expect. Hypnosis is a simple, but at the same time effective relaxation technique that helps not only relax, but also find the necessary answers in your subconscious. A person independently enters a trance while reading a book or watching a movie, etc. It is better to say in advance that:
- No one controls anyone during the session.
- He will not be immersed in an unconscious (limited) state.
- He will not be forced to do anything he does not like.
Hypnosis helps get rid of anxious thoughts, strengthens mindfulness, and is used for complete relaxation during stressful situations. Understanding by partners of goals and motives helps to quickly bring a person into a state of hypnotic trance.
Another important point that is worth checking with the person being hypnotized is whether he has undergone previous sessions of the procedure. If yes, then you need to find out what they told him, what was his reaction to certain actions? This will help the hypnotist understand what needs to be avoided and the degree of suggestibility of a person. For good communication with the patient, prepare for the most popular questions.
When is hypnosis needed?
Hypnosis for good sleep is indicated for the following conditions:
- psycho-emotional stress,
- mental overstrain,
- sleep hygiene disorders,
- excessive physical activity,
- circumstances unfavorable to falling asleep,
- forced jumps in the circadian rhythm.
Light hypnosis for sleep is a kind of restoration of a good night's rest.
Attention! By following the link, you can also listen to sleep music for insomnia.
Treatment of insomnia with hypnotherapy
This method of non-drug treatment is most effective when the development of insomnia is caused by psycho-emotional disorders. According to medical research, this is the main cause of insomnia.
With the help of hypnotic influence, you can make adjustments to your consciousness in order to look at all your daily problems from a different angle. This method allows you to get rid of mental or physical fatigue, and also helps restore the circadian rhythm. The technique has proven itself in the treatment of depressive psychosis, which was caused by insomnia or became the reason for its development.
To use this method, the assistance of a specialist is not required; the patient can independently conduct sessions using a special audio recording. Of course, if you contact a qualified hypnotherapist, the effectiveness of treatment will increase significantly. A positive result is possible after the first session, while self-hypnosis will require concentration and a little patience.
Principles of influence
Therapeutic hypnosis is a temporary change in consciousness, between sleep and wakefulness, at the moment of which a person’s suggestibility is significantly enhanced. The patient's mental control over what is happening around him decreases. The person has an increased concentration of attention on the actions of the hypnotist.
Those people who are open to such influence are susceptible to hypnosis. Without the patient’s consent, it will be extremely difficult to carry out all the manipulations. Usually such actions are just self-hypnosis. That is, the effectiveness of therapeutic hypnosis directly depends on a person’s willingness to undergo hypnosis.
Thus, a specialist can conduct hypnotherapy to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders. But treating insomnia with hypnosis should only be supervised by an experienced specialist.
Indications and contraindications
Treatment of insomnia with hypnosis is not indicated for all people. For hypnosis to fall asleep, as for hypnosis in general, there are a number of contraindications:
- pregnancy;
- schizophrenia (disorder of thinking and perception);
- epilepsy;
- acute psychosis (mental disturbance);
- exacerbation of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Hypnosis for smoking - does it help or not?
It is also unacceptable to use hypnotic influence on people under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Attention! Hypnotherapy sessions are advisable for individuals whose mild nervous disorder causes thoughts that prevent them from falling asleep at night.
Disruptions in the circadian rhythm), the inability to relax on your own, an excited state from taking medications during treatment - these are just a few indications for the use of hypno-methods.
Causes of poor sleep
Exercises
Self-administered hypnosis is a good option for inducing sleep. Our consciousness and subconscious quickly react and perceive the information that the patient says.
Every evening before going to sleep, you need to say short and concise expressions. It is necessary to eliminate all interference that could interfere with the session. That is, it is important to carry out all actions in a calm environment. All expressions must not contain negative particles. The phrase patterns are as follows:
- I had a wonderful day and now I fall asleep peacefully.
- I deserve a good night's sleep.
- I fall asleep very quickly.
- I gain new knowledge when I fall asleep.
All statements must be in the first person. These phrases prevent a person from returning to the initial phase of falling asleep. They are able to redirect into a drowsy state.
Introduction to a hypnotic state
To correctly complete this stage, you must adhere to the following instructions: the hypnotist’s speech should be calm, the words are spoken clearly, but longer than usual, during the session the tone of voice does not cause aggression or mistrust, but pacifies. Establish contact from the beginning and maintain it.
Initial phase
Phrases to start hypnosis:
“There is safety, calm and tranquility around you. Allow yourself to relax as deeply as possible."
“Your eyelids get heavy, you want to close your eyes. Let your body return to its natural position as your muscles relax. As you settle into peace, feel your body and listen to my voice.”
“You are in complete control of what happens. You will only accept those instructions that you want to accept and that will benefit you.”
Actions of partners
- The person being hypnotized tries to take deep breaths and exhales. To achieve greater results, it is worth helping the patient catch the rhythm. This is done by synchronizing breathing.
- The hypnotist asks the partner to focus on one object or point. It is advisable that the patient choose the object himself. But if a person is relaxed and wants to sit or lie down with his eyes closed, then you should not prevent him from doing so. If the hypnotist suggests focusing the partner’s gaze on himself, then, if possible, it is necessary to remain motionless so as not to distract him from the spoken words.
- The patient's body needs to be gradually relaxed. If the hypnotized person is calm, breathes evenly and perceives the hypnotist’s words well, then he is asked to relax his feet and toes. When this is done, move on to the calves, then to the calf muscles, then to the thighs. Step by step they reach the face. After this, they descend to the back and upper limbs. There is no room for haste in this matter, everything is spoken out and done calmly. If the patient appears tense, the muscle relaxation process is repeated.
- The hypnotist observes the body movements and breathing rhythm of the hypnotized person. This will help assess the degree of relaxation and mental state. It is also important to find and note moments of tension: fingers of the upper and lower extremities, eyes, breathing. In parallel, the hypnotist continues to work with the pacification technique.
Technique for deep relaxation
At the end of this stage, the Hypnotic Staircase technique is used. To perform it, the hypnotist asks the partner to imagine that he is standing in a quiet and comfortable room at the beginning of the stairs. He begins to move downwards and with each subsequent step he sinks deeper and deeper into a state of rest.
As soon as positive dynamics become noticeable, you need to inform that the last 10 steps remain to be completed, and each next step will be accompanied by certain instructions:
“Take the first step down and feel yourself going deeper into a state of relaxation. Every step down is a step towards your subconscious. You take the second step and become increasingly calm. When you reach the third step, you will feel as if your body will float into space in bliss..., etc.”
This way he can open the door located at the very bottom. It leads to complete relaxation.
Recommendations for going into trance
The hypnotist, when starting to perform some actions, must remember that orders spoken under hypnosis often do not work, but only cause mistrust. When undergoing the classical type of hypnosis, in most cases, those being hypnotized remember what they did during the session, so hypnotherapists with extensive experience usually invite the patient to independently determine the course and techniques performed, without imposing their own opinions.
A hypnotic state helps make a person less anxious. Those who have been hypnotizing for a long time know that trance reduces feelings of depression and stress. The possibility of complete relaxation is quite rare in the fast-paced life of a modern person, so hypnosis is a good help in eliminating depressive moods.
During hypnosis, you can ask a person to independently visualize his problem and options for solving it. It is not recommended to impose your views and opinions on the hypnotized person. It is better to make him imagine a successful solution on his own. How does he see himself in the near and distant future? What needs to change to achieve what you want?
Hypnosis helps solve mild psychological problems. But in such situations it is better to contact a qualified psychologist. No one belittles the merits of hypnotherapy; it is successfully used to combat phobias and addictions, but you need to understand that this is not a cure for problems, but one of the effective ways that help a person plunge into his subconscious. Hypnosis is a kind of self-reflection that strengthens mental and emotional health.
Benefit
Hypnotherapy has a number of benefits:
- Treatment of obsessive psychological conditions. There are no side effects, and the procedure itself is painless.
- Treatment of various addictions.
- You can get rid of phobias and fears. It is even possible to treat stuttering.
- Unlocking personal potential. All activities can help improve a person's memory and abilities.
- Therapy of somatic ailments. An easy hypnotic treatment method allows you to easily cope with pathologies.
- Relief of pain. This method can be used during childbirth, toothache and other types.
As you can see, there are plenty of advantages to manipulation.
Features of audio hypnosis
Good results can be achieved using audio hypnosis. This option of exposure without immersion in a deep trance is the safest and most accessible. Relaxing music allows you to tune in to a night's rest and get away from oppressive problems.
Below is an example of such a relaxing musical composition.
For those who want to try how effective this method is, we highly recommend finding a source without intrusive advertising inserts, since their presence will have the opposite effect.
In addition to music that promotes relaxation, the neurotune technique has now become widespread. With the help of such audio sessions, information is introduced at a subconscious level. For this purpose, neurowave stimulation, coded suggestions and other influence technologies are used. Such recordings can be purchased for a very reasonable price, which, in any case, will be cheaper than paying for a session with a qualified hypnotherapist.
Harm
It must be said that hypnotherapy can also be harmful to human health. A person may have some sort of disagreement within him. That is, the patient does not agree with what is being suggested to him. For this reason, painful sensations begin to appear inside.
When penetrating into the subconscious, the patient’s mental balance may also be disturbed. In this state, a person may give out some confidential information that no one should know about. A specialist can instill in a person something that he did not want.
Phases of hypnotic sleep
Psychologists have established three main phases that occur during hypnotic sleep. Each of them has its own distinctive features.
1. The pre-trance stage involves the following steps:
- Pre-hypnotic state. This is a state when a person is not yet immersed in a trance, however, there is already lightness in the body and some drowsiness.
- Decreased brain activity. The phase involves a gradual shutdown of a person’s consciousness, he plunges into a hypnotic state, feels tired and really wants to sleep.
- Relaxation. It becomes difficult for a person to control his movements, his eyes close.
2. Second stage: immersion in a trance state. The person completely relaxes and falls into a hypnotic sleep. During the onset of this stage, a narrowing of consciousness is noted, that is, the person is isolated from external stimuli. He also does not feel some touches on himself, the sensitivity of the body is greatly reduced. Signals sent by a hypnologist or an audio recording are perceived by the brain, while other signals are completely ignored.
3. The third phase is suggestion. At this moment, the person receives all the signals sent to him by the hypnologist or from a special audio medium. If the audio recording is set to quickly fall asleep, then the person falls asleep and wakes up only after a full rest.
During hypnotic sleep, a person experiences the same state of the brain as during normal sleep. His body is relaxed, his eyes are closed, the man appears rested.
Sleep Disorders Clinic
A person's sleep can be disturbed for various reasons. In medical practice, this condition is usually called insomnia. As a rule, people turn to specialists for help if they have been experiencing various difficulties falling asleep or maintaining a normal physiological sleep rhythm for a certain period of time. Insomnia can manifest itself with both of these symptoms at once, which only complicates a person’s life.
Some of the most common signs of sleep disturbance include the following:
- falling asleep for a long time in comfortable conditions, following a daily routine;
- waking up at night for no apparent reason;
- getting up early without the feeling that the person has fully slept;
- drowsy state during daylight hours;
- difficult awakening in the morning after a sleepless night;
- heavy dreams, nightmares;
- feeling overwhelmed, tired and apathetic throughout the day;
- obsessive desire to sleep and relax.
Lack of sleep cannot be compensated for. The body needs it to restore functions, process information, physiological rest of the body, configure all internal systems, and accumulate energy for future achievements. Therefore, having problems falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, a person not only quickly loses energy, but also puts his health at risk. Without proper sleep, the body begins to malfunction. He can do the same in the case when there is a difficult unresolved personal situation, and then insomnia is a consequence of the person’s experiences and severe suffering. In some cases, sleep disorders can cause diseases in which insomnia disappears as a symptom when they are cured.
Independent attempts to normalize sleep through long-term use of sleeping pills, as a rule, do not lead to positive results. At first they help, but then the body quickly gets used to them, and insomnia returns.
A different approach is needed to treat insomnia. It is necessary to find and eliminate the problem that caused this condition. Understanding the mechanisms of falling asleep and staying asleep will help you better understand the situation.