Insomnia....nothing like a good night's sleep.

Most people suffer from insomnia at some stage in their lives; this may be short term and last 3 - 4 weeks or long term lasting months and in some cases years. Some times there may be a clear reason for sleep difficulties such as nightshifts, stress or changes in our personal circumstances; at other times we may have trouble sleeping for no apparent reason. To be successful in defeating insomnia we need to look at all the underlying causes of your sleep difficulties.

How can hypnotherapy help?

Hypnotherapy provides a direct route to mental and physical relaxation; also we can explore the reasons for your insomnia. In order to be ready for sleep we need to be able to reduce any mental chatter and still our minds. We also need to relax and release the tension from our bodies. I will teach you methods that enable you to relax and switch on your body's relaxation response so you are able to get to sleep and stay asleep for longer periods.

How can rational thinking help?

Insomnia is often caused by our thoughts and behaviours (habits and routines), therefore in addition to looking at our sleep routines and habits we also need to look at our thoughts and beliefs about sleep. An important point to consider is that, if our thoughts keep us awake they can also help us to sleep. People with insomnia will often have thoughts such "I didn't sleep a wink last night", "I dread going to bed", "I must have eight hours sleep or I am damaging my health". These thoughts will hardly improve our confidence and help us to sleep better, as they increase stress and worry. When we think more rationally about insomnia and avoid distortions and exaggerations then, the mind and body are more calm, relaxed and ready for sleep. Because our thoughts and behaviours regarding insomnia are learned, we can unlearn them and regain our confidence in our ability to sleep.