A good night’s sleep is important to one’s physical and mental restoration. In particular it has a positive impact on memory and the functioning of the immune system.
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However, many people have a difficult time getting as much restful sleep as they need. Individuals with sleep disturbances can be successfully treated with hypnotherapy because hypnosis can influence the body’s processes which are very difficult to control voluntarily. It doesn’t work to just will yourself to go to sleep when life stresses are interfering with your relaxation. In fact, willing yourself to sleep and then failing actually produces more anxiety which of course is very counterproductive to sleeping. Also, many people do not want to become dependent on drugs to get to sleep every night although millions are. In contrast to many sleep-inducing drugs, hypnosis has no adverse side effects.
Hypnosis and Promoting Sleep
Hypnosis can be very effective in promoting sleep through suggestions that produce relaxation. That in itself is a powerful sleep aid. Hypnotherapists use many methods such as imagining yourself gently moving down a staircase or a long winding path or perhaps an elevator. These hypnotic inductions are much better done by a professional since proper tempo and word usage is vital and different for each person. Then there are many different visualizations each person can use according to what is relaxing to that particular person. For example, one person may find it very relaxing to visualize walking through a beautiful wooded forest while another may be terrified of bears or allergic to the plants.
Another reason why this must be done by a professional is that some folks are not visual and become frustrated when guided to visualize something. Other techniques can be individualized for people who are more auditory or others who are kinesthetic, more feeling.
Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist
Beyond the hypnotic suggestions, however, hypnotherapy, by a Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist can be helpful in discovering underlying stresses that an individual may be unaware of consciously. For example, many people have underlying emotional connections that prevent them from going to sleep. Sleep may trigger feelings of anxiety for highly productive people who subconsciously may feel that when they’re asleep, they’re not accomplishing anything. Other people had difficult childhood experiences during the night time like abuse where they were often awakened to parents fighting, someone being hurt, or even sexual abuse. People often do not make these associations consciously, however. Hypnotherapy can help the individual recognize what is actually underneath their sleep disorder and then to heal it.
Slow-wave brain waves – an indicator of sleep quality – increased by 80 percent with hypnosis
The reason that hypnosis is effective in promoting sleep is found in similarities in brain wave patterns in both sleep and hypnosis. The characteristic feature of slow-wave sleep, which is deemed to have high restorative capacity, is a very even and slow oscillation in electrical brain activity. Hypnosis produces a similar brain wave pattern, dominated by the slow-wave theta frequency that is characteristic of dreaming REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Sleep Researchers
Sleep researchers from the Universities of Zurich and Fribourg published a study in the scientific journal Sleep, documenting that hypnosis has a positive impact on the quality of sleep, to a surprising extent. “It opens up new, promising opportunities for improving the quality of sleep without drugs”, says biopsychologist Björn Rasch who heads the study at the University of Zurich.
Their study documented that highly suggestible women experienced 80 percent more slow-wave sleep after listening to the hypnosis tape compared with sleep after listening to the neutral text. Also, time spent awake was reduced by around one-third for these subjects. Predictably, low suggestible participants did not benefit as much from hypnosis as the highly suggestible participants.
According to psychologist Maren Cordi “the results may be of major importance for patients with sleep problems and for older adults.” Also, women commonly begin to have sleep problems while going through menopause. When the hormones change and the amount of estrogen produced is lower, then women often take much longer to fall asleep. Hypnosis can help with balancing the hormonal levels to produce a much more balanced pattern of sleep.
Here are 5 habits we should definitely avoid before going to sleep:
1. Drinking coffee later in the afternoon
Everybody knows that caffeine heightens your senses and makes you more alert. The reason why we should all avoid this beverage after lunch or about six hours before going to bed is clear. It will make you toss and turn and keep you awake. The same goes for green or black tea. So make sure you consume either of them early in the morning.
2. Smoking or drinking alcohol before going to bed
Smoking and consuming large amounts of alcohol are bad for our health in general. They interfere with our lifestyles a lot and yes, they can even affect the quality of our sleep. While it’s true that alcohol can make you fall asleep faster, it’s just as true that it can disrupt your sleep throughout the night. Obviously, this will contribute to that feeling of grogginess in the morning.
3. Eating large meals right before you go to sleep
Going to bed right after eating a wholesome Thanksgiving dinner is a bad idea. Our bodies digest the food a lot slower later in the day so we need a few hours between a large meal and sleep time. Going to bed on an empty stomach is also a bad idea. For the best quality sleep, try eating a balanced and healthy meal at least a couple of hours before bedtime.
4. Drinking too much water
Or any other drinks. Needless to say, drinking lots of water will disrupt our sleep and prevent us from feeling rested the following day. If you’ve woken up several times per night before, you know what we mean. Of course, staying hydrated is important, but the best option is to drink plenty of water during the day.
5. Using your bedroom for work or other activities
Keep your bedroom for sleep (and intimacy) only. It is much harder to disconnect and enjoy a peaceful sleep if you bring work or stress-related activities in bed with you. To ensure high quality sleep, keep away any electronic devices like TV, laptop or your smartphone. As tempting as these may be, associating your bedroom with rest and instead of scrolling on Facebook is what we need for a good night’s sleep.
Sleep easily and naturally with the help of hypnosis!
Falling asleep sounds easy, but the reality is many of us struggle with it on a regular basis. We lay in bed at night tossing and turning, our minds racing with worries and lists of things to do. The minutes turn to hours as the ever-approaching dawn threatens to drive us mad. We flip through channels and thumb pages of books hoping our minds will be distracted just long enough to drift into a slumber. Yet night after night the insomnia remains.
It is a frustrating feeling not being able to sleep. It robs us of much needed rejuvenation and causes us to slip from our usual resolve. Our stress levels then increase, creating a vicious cycle as our bodies battle to relax. Sometimes it is a medical problem or chemical side effect that prevents us from getting the rest we need. No matter the cause, the results are exactly the same. Another unsettled night followed by an exhausted day.
Do you find yourself unable to relax at night, your mind racing from one thought to another? Have you turned to medication for relief? Maybe you have given up all together and forced yourself to accept these sleepless nights as just a fact of life. This does not have to be part of your existence. You can be free and enjoy natural, blissful, luxurious sleep.
Imagine what it would be like to:
- Finally break the vicious circle of insomnia!
- Sleep easily and naturally each and every night!
- Wake up each morning feeling rested and refreshed!
Sleep is a vital function which supports mental and physical health, creativity, intellectual performance, safety, and longevity.
Adults generally require 7 to 9 hours sleep. People typically view sleep as a time of inactivity for the body, but that isn’t the case.
As you sleep, your body is working behind the scenes to detoxify your brain, repair your heart and blood vessels, keep your immune system healthy and balance your hormones.
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Ref:. www.releasesoon.com, runningmagazine.ca and www.vitalsleep.com
