Solution focused hypnotherapy for better sleep
Do you :
- Have trouble sleeping?
- Worry about whether you will be able to get to sleep?
- Worry about whether you will be able to stay asleep?
- Wake during the night, unable to get back to sleep?
- Spend half the night awake while everyone else sleeps?
- Struggle to get up in the morning, feeling sluggish and unmotivated?
- Experience extreme tiredness or fatigue during the day?
- Have frequent headaches and feel grumpy during the day?
- Think and worry about your Sleep Disturbance during the day?
- Have a little line of sleeping pills to take each night which don’t work?
- Feel bedtime anxiety? Nighttime anxiety?
Insomnia Sleeping Disorder
There’s very little as frustrating as insomnia. But did you know, it’s got serious long-term health consequences as well? While it’s best to get a solid 8 hours sleep each night, less than 6 hours sleep can contribute to depression and anxiety, immune system deterioration, circulatory diseases and even Alzheimer’s. Sleep is really important for processing the events of the day too, releasing emotional upheaval and stress so that we can function effectively the following day. So, when you have trouble sleeping and insomnia, you also have trouble coping with your day-to-day life. Research has shown that after only 4 days without REM sleep, for example – the part of your sleep which processes memories and helps you learn – your ability to concentrate, remember basic information and connect effectively with others is seriously affected. Expert now believe that a good night’s sleep is the foundation on which diet and exercise build, to create a healthy body.Without a good night’s sleep our ability to be healthy is seriously impeded. Some go as far as to say, ‘the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life’ – now there’s a good reason to explore Solution Focused therapy for sleep disturbance if ever there was one. But don’t take my word for it, listen to what the experts say about specific conditions affected by sleep disturbance and chronic insomnia.
‘The less you sleep, the more you eat’… sleep disturbance and body-weight
World-renowned sleep expert Matthew Walker states that sleeping less than 8 hours a night will increase the probability of gaining weight, being overweight or obese, and significantly increases the likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes (Why we sleep, Penguin Books, 2017 p.169) . This is for several reasons. Firstly, the hormone which tells us we are full up (leptin) declines when we are sleep deprived and so we feel hungrier after a poor night’s sleep, even when we eat the same amount. Secondly, the hormone which tells us we are hungry (ghrelin) increases at the same time, and so we find that even when we do eat, we become hungry all over again quite soon afterwards, consuming far more calories than we otherwise would. When we don’t get enough sleep our bodies actually produce high levels of endocannbinoids which are natural chemicals similar to cannabis, and which stimulate appetite and increase the desire to snack. Thirdly, when we don’t get enough sleep our bodies go into crisis mode and trigger excessive cravings for high-fat and sugar foods which our systems use for quick energy in emergencies. If we regularly miss a few hours of sleep our inhibitive controls weaken, so that making good food choices becomes more difficult and we are much more likely to reach for sugary snacks than a stick of celery when the munchies kick in. Fourthly, our bodies become unable to manage these extra calories we consume on too little sleep, especially the levels of sugar in our blood. The actual cells in our body become less responsive after just one night of disturbed sleep and resist the insulin message to open up and absorb this sugar swirling around in our bloodstream and so it remains, dangerously circulating, within our system. Walker tells us unequivocally that ‘chronic sleep deprivation (less than 6 hours sleep per night over an extended period of time) is now recognised as one of the major contributors to the escalation of Type 2 Diabetes throughout first-world countries.’ And of course, the less we sleep, the more sedentary we tend to be, as we have less energy. So we exercise less, move less, feel worse and… eat more. We need to get our sleep patterns regulated, to stay fit and healthy.
Sleep Disturbance and Low mood
Depression is not just about the excess presence of negative feelings – it is also caused by the absence of positive emotions (anhedonia) or the inability to enjoy the good things in life – food, social interaction, quiet moments, natural beauty and so on. Sleep, and especially REM sleep, acts to remove the emotional content from our days, restoring the ability to enjoy the simple things in life, without having to supplement these with risky or unhealthy activities to get that blast of feel-good chemicals which is subdued by sleep disturbance. Sleep helps to ‘clean-up’ the heavy emotional burden left by unhappy and traumatic events – allowing us over time to deal with these events and process them, moving them from the emotional part of the brain to the intellectual, creative part, so that they don’t hang over us and prevent us from feeling joy or happiness. When we suffer from trouble sleeping insomnia this clean-up operation doesn’t happen and we carry the weight of heavy emotions across into the following days and weeks, which has an adverse effect on mood and ability to cope with other challenges when they arise. Our bodies absorb the ill-effects of this residual trauma from our minds and as a result we can suffer chronic illness and pain until it is addressed. Improvements in sleep allow the body’s own trauma therapy to operate effectively, and research into sufferers of C/PTSD are showing that increased amounts of REM sleep are a vital element of therapy for these individuals. Solution Focused insomnia therapy induces changes in brainwaves similar to REM sleep, as well as stimulating deep and restful natural sleep and teaches you ways to fallasleep, so helping shift the burden of depression and allowing a return of those feelings of hope, joy and happiness.
Anxiety and sleeplessness
While we may not be aware of the causes of our sleeplessness, it is often caused by emotional upheaval, anxiety and depression and will often make these conditions worse. For many of us in this fast-paced modern world, our sleep pattern is insufficient to deal with all the stimulus and stress of the day. Our Rapid Eye Movement sleep in particular (REM) is impacted by stress, anxiety and the fast pace of living, and this causes us to have trouble sleeping and often find we can’t stay asleep either. The quantity and quality of our sleep suffers when we don’t get enough REM. We can find ourselves waking in the night feeling pretty uptight and unable to get back to sleep again. This only adds to the frustration, anxiety and stress within our bodies and sets us up for more of the same the next day. Research has shown a direct correlation between disturbed sleep and chronic anxiety. REM sleep is the only time in our 24 hour cycle where the brain is free from the stress chemical noradrenaline. This pause in stress allows the brain to heal, process and clear away stress. When our REM sleep is reduced, our anxiety levels increase, and then the vicious cycle begins. We find we can’t get to sleep because we are so anxious, we wake in the night and can’t get back to sleep, and our anxiety levels increase because we aren’t sleeping well enough. We start the day in a negative frame of mind, more likely to feel overwhelmed and stressed-out, and so we spend the day tired and worried, and go to bed the same way.
The quality of our Deep Sleep, the period of sleep when we regenerate, learn and heal, is also impacted by increasing levels of stress and anxiety, so that after a night of disturbed sleep we can wake in the morning feeling groggy and unrested, without the energy or motivation to deal with the coming day. We can find it hard to get moving in the mornings, and this adds to the growing stress-load we are accumulating through our Sleep Disturbance.
Sadly this can become a vicious cycle – waking up with stress still flooding our bodies because of sleep disruption, we go through the day in a uptight and negative frame of mind, adding further to the stress-load, and so have difficulty sleeping once more.
Solution Focused Therapy effectively breaks this cycle, promoting easeful and natural sleep patterns and effective REM sleep where the clean-up is effective and efficient, and we can start the day rested and hopeful, full of energy and motivation. A key part of this hypnotherapy treatment for insomnia is anxiety support , an integral part of the therapy. Rosie’s Space starts the sleep therapy from the very first meeting, when you’ll be given a Bedtime Hypnosis Recording to use each night, and which is yours to keep. Each session thereafter will use research-based techniques for better sleep to promote relaxation and reduce night anxiety, allowing you to take back control of your sleep cycle and improve feelings of well-being and control, leading to better sleep.
Sleep Disturbance and Heart Attacks
Adults over 45 who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke during their lifetime (Walker, 2017)
Wow.
Sleep Disturbance and Alzheimer’s Disease
As mentioned before, the natural sleep cycle causes an effective clean-up of the toxins accumulated in the brain over the course of a day. Walker calls it a ‘night-time power cleanse’ and it is vital for removal of proteins that, if left in the brain, will build up and increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s Disease. Indeed, his extensive research demonstrates without question that ‘getting too little sleep across the adult lifespan will significantly raise your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. To take this further however, it appears that by improving someone’s sleep we should be able to lessen the likelihood of their contracting this cruel and debilitating disease, or at least slow down its onset. Solution Focused Therapy improves sleep patterns and promotes the increased quantity and quality of sleep we need to remain healthy and happy as we age.
Alcohol and Sleep Medication… the facts
Sadly, alcohol as a sleep-aid is a myth. When we use alcohol to help us sleep we are in fact making the problem worse. Alcohol doesn’t help with this cant sleep anxiety, instead it sedates us. It’s more like being in a state of light anaesthesia than true sleep. Because it isn’t true sleep, it has an adverse affect on our sleep pattern. It actively suppresses REM sleep, that element of our rest which is so vital for our overall well-being, and for processing emotional events of the day. So, while we may feel we have gone to sleep we have in fact prevented the benefits of sleep from reaching our bodies and , especially with regular use of alcohol over time, this contributes to negative physical and mental issues.
Sleep medication treats the symptoms and not the cause of insomnia. As we have seen, sleep disturbance is caused and heightened by anxiety, low mood, stress and trauma. For this reason, sleep medications are generally not suitable for long-term use as they do not treat the symptoms of insomnia and so when discontinued, the individual often finds the sleep disturbance remains. Tolerance develops to many common sleep medications so that over time more of the drug is required to make it effective , and some of these drugs are highly addictive. Therefore, they are a short-term solution at best. Solution Focused Therapy allows you to deal with the underlying issues causing your insomnia, so that after a few enjoyable and relaxing sessions you can take away the tools and techniques and use them going forward to effectively deal with any periods of insomnia that may arise. Many people find that 8-10 sessions with Rosie effectively deal with their sleep disturbance.
Solution Focused Therapy as an effective treatment for insomnia
This evidence-based and modern therapy can effectively address many of the underlying causes of sleep disturbance. There’s no need to explore the past or to concentrate on the negatives in your life in order to turn things around – research has shown that this only compounds the issue, and can seriously undermine your mental health. Instead with Solution Focused hypnotherapy we move you gently but effectively away from the problems and towards solutions that are the right ones for you, and that will effectively address many of the underlying causes of sleeplessness. As a non-invasive approach to the issue of sleep disturbance it is completely safe to use for the long-term, although many people find that the short course helps them get better sleep from an early stage. Nurturing, gentle and enjoyable, Solution Focused hypnotherapy for sleep is a healthy, effective gift to yourself that your body and mind will thank you for.
Improved sleep quality and quantity
Clients I have worked with have reported better sleep from the very first night, and others have found the progressive nature of the therapy built solid and long-lasting improvements in their sleep patterns. Everyone is different, and results will be different for everyone, but Solution Focused Hypnotherapy acts where sleep problems are believed to originate — in the subconscious mind— and so gets to the root of the issue in a gentle, powerful and effective way.
Solution Focused Therapy uses a highly effective blend of cutting-edge psychotherapy and powerful hypnosis to regulate your nervous system and settle your sleep. As well as carefully directed constructive talk-therapy we use a very common state of mind called trance – a light and relaxed focused state of attention, to access the subconscious mind. In this state, the brainwaves change, and this boosts our ability to get to sleep and also improves the quantity and quality of our REM sleep each night, so that concentration, work performance, relationships and interactions become so much better. While you relax deeply, either in your own cosy space if online or on my super-comfy recliner chair in Rosie’s Space, I use post-hypnotic suggestion to help your subconscious rebuild the confidence and positivity of mind, the calm and competent state of being, that will allow you to deal with life more effectively, both awake and asleep!
What results have we seen with Solution Focused Therapy?
My clients report better sleep from an early stage of the sleep therapy, along with a wonderful sense of wellbeing, feeling more rested and energised, and experiencing a growing feeling of positivity and power that has allowed them to improve their lives in remarkable ways, finding their way back to happiness, fulfilment and into wonderful and exciting new chapters of their lives, just by engaging with me in their weekly sessions, learning ways to fall asleep quickly and listening to my special Bedtime Recording every night. While client engagement is essential to get the full benefit of the sessions, I am with you every step of the way to guide, encourage and accompany you on your journey towards a peaceful, restful and regenerative nights sleep. I work with clients from all over the world – just get in touch to find out more. I offer a free discovery call to answer any questions you might have, without obligation,
…So there’s nothing to lose, and a lot of good quality sleep to gain!