Quality sleep is very important to the overall functioning of a person, and lack of sleep can cause numerous physical and emotional issues. Those who experience sleep disorders such as insomnia or chronic nightmares may find hypnotherapy for sleep very beneficial. Hypnotherapy can increase the ability to relax and train the mind to focus on something other than the issues that are preventing a full night of quality sleep.
While there isn’t a significant amount of medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of this type of therapy for sleep, preliminary experiments have found that it can be beneficial. It is difficult for researchers to evaluate the benefits of hypnosis because the practice relies on the subjects believing that it works, but believing that a treatment will work can create a placebo effect itself. Hypnosis is typically safe, so whether it is proven to work or not, it may be worth trying if other methods of relaxation, such as meditation, are not working.
One of the benefits of hypnotherapy for sleep is that is helps promote relaxation. Many people have difficulty sleeping because their minds are constantly running. They may be thinking about errands they need to run the next day, fights with loved ones, or worries about finances and other issues. Hypnotherapy helps teach them to focus on something more relaxing, which may allow them to drift off to sleep more easily.
Aside from relaxing the mind, hypnotherapy may also help slow down physical processes within the body. The heart, for example, typically beats a little slower during sleep than during wakefulness. Respiratory rates remain about the same, but breathing becomes more even and relaxed. Typically, hypnosis, and particularly hypnotherapy for sleep, involves breathing evenly and deeply, which may help trigger a relaxed state similar to the early stages of sleep.
Hypnotherapy for sleep may be beneficial to those who suffer from nightmares or night terrors. Hypnosis can be geared towards helping the sufferer uncover the source of the bad dreams and assist them in resolving the issues. In many cases, anxiety and stress are at the root of the problem, and relaxing before falling asleep may be enough to reduce or eliminate the nightmares.
Some evidence suggests that sleep hypnotherapy may also help with issues such as bed-wetting and restless leg syndrome. Most researchers agree, however, that the hypnotherapy should be combined with traditional therapy to get the best results. Those interested in trying hypnotherapy for sleep disorders should consult a psychologist or trained therapist.