Insomnia? A tip to help you sleep

Insomnia - a photo of a crumpled, vacant bed www.thehypnotherapist.co.uk

Sleepless nights? Use hypnotherapy to disrupt the cycle of insomnia

According to a 2007 review in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine about 30% of adults experience one or more symptoms of insomnia.

Insomnia preventing you from sleeping soundly?

People suffering from insomnia either struggle to fall asleep or to stay asleep, some unlucky souls struggle with both. Insomnia is one of the most common symptoms patients report to their doctors.

Sleeping disorders can impact both mental and physical health. Insomnia can be accompanied by depression and anxiety disorders as the lack of sleep takes it toll. Stress is a common cause of acute insomnia with sufferers unable to switch off from the challenge of daily life.

If you are one of the 30% of adults trying to cope with insomnia, have you considered hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy can disrupt the cycle of insomnia and help you to have regular, good quality night's’ sleep.

Call Heather Denny, the Hypnotherapist, for hypnotherapy in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7NQ for a chat to find out how she can help you to get a good night’s sleep. Until then, here’s a simple tip that might just help you to sleep tonight.

Practice this relaxing exercise to help you get to sleep easily at night

First of all, settle yourself comfortably in bed and just start to relax.  Next, simply take a in a full comfortable breath, and as you breathe out say to yourself ‘relax’. Then, take another deep breath and, while exhaling say to yourself again 'relax'.  Give yourself permission to let go of any tension in your body. Really feel yourself sinking into the support of your bed. Now, as your breath becomes regular, mentally count the length of time you take to naturally breathe in. As you breathe out, aim to double the length of your out breath. So, if you counted to 3 on your in breath try and extend your out breath to a count of 6; if you counted 4 on your in breath extend your out breath to a count of 8, it’s really that simple. It might take a few goes to get into the rhythm but just focus on your breath and you'll get the hang of it.

It's a good idea to practice this technique during the day so you find it easy to do at night.

Sweet dreams…

How Many Hours Sleep Do You Need?

Sleep - how many hours do you think you need each night? 

5-6 hours and a double espresso to kick–start you in the morning?

With increasing pressure and diversions a full night’s slumber seems to have been elevated to luxury status.  In fact, it is your birthright.

The Hypnotherapist - How Many Hours Sleep Do You Need? with a photo of an alarm clock - www.thehypnotherapist.co.uk

Your requirement changes with your stage of life.  Roughly speaking, adults require between 7 and 8 hours each night.

Do you struggle to achieve 6 hours, let alone 8 hours of rejuvenating slumber?

Many people are unaware that the amount you need will increase if you've not been getting 7-8 hours in the preceding nights. There’s no avoiding it, if you don't get enough it produces a "sleep debt". Just like being overdrawn at the bank; sooner or later that debt has to be repaid. While you may appear to function normally on less than the recommended 7-8 hours’, it is very likely that your judgment and reaction time will be impaired.

Sleep and Willpower

When you’re sleep deprived it has a negative effect on the front part of your brain which plays a major role in your ability to exercise willpower. If you don’t get sufficient this part of your brain suffers from your low energy levels.  As a result your sense of discipline and self-control goes into disarray. So, it naturally follows that a full night’s sleep is essential if you are trying to stick to a diet.

The Perils of Staying Awake

Another concern for the sleep deprived is micro-sleep. As the name suggests these are very short periods of sleep, only seconds in duration. Here's the thing, many people are not aware they are experiencing them. In 2012 an ABC News reporter Ron Claiborne worked with medical researcher Charles Czeisler to study the impact of micro-sleeps. To mimic the effects chronic sleep deprivation, Claiborne stayed awake for 32 hours. Researchers then monitored Claiborne’s brain activity while he was driving around a test track. Even though Claiborne’s eyes remained open, his brain activity confirmed that he took more than 20 micro-sleeps during the drive. While they last only a few seconds if they occur while driving, the outcome could be devastating.

So, how many hours do you need?  Are you one of the many people who suffer with insomnia? Do you struggle to nod off or do you find your mind racing with troublesome thoughts during the night?  If so, hypnotherapy can be very effective in breaking the cycle of insomnia and poor sleep. Hypnotherapy for insomnia treatments are available in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7NQ.  Just call Heather Denny, The Hypnotherapist - on 07834 754608.