A comprehensive study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examining results from 24 different research papers reported that more than half (58.3%) of the included studies found evidence that hypnosis could benefit sleep.
The research also highlighted that there was a low incidence of adverse events when hypnosis is used as a tool for treating sleep disorders.
Other scientific studies have found that improving sleep through hypnosis is a secondary outcome. For example, one study focused on reducing pain by hypnosis found that participants not only reported less pain, but their sleep improved at the same time too.
Health conditions that benefit from self-hypnosis for sleep
Hypnosis can help with insomnia (either primary or secondary), as well as a whole range of health concerns like cancer or problematic menopause symptoms. This is because sleep disturbances and a whole host of health conditions can go hand in hand.
Researchers from around the world have already studied the benefits of sleep hypnosis for:
multiple sclerosis patients with sleeping difficulties
chronic fatigue syndrome patients with sleep disturbances
cancer patients
menopausal hot flashes
people with sleep bruxism (teeth grinding)
people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that led to sleep disturbances
fibromyalgia patients with sleeping difficulties
people with lower back problems
post-menopausal women
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Self-hypnosis techniques for sleep
The ability to focus yourself at will is an invaluable skill and it’s the foundation for sleep self-hypnosis.
However, keep in mind that The Sleep Foundation in the US says self-hypnosis is about changing your negative thoughts about sleep or your poor sleep habits, rather than putting you to sleep during the process. Instead, the idea is that you will sleep better once the self-hypnosis is complete.
Here’s how to self-hypnotize for improved sleep.
Find a comfortable place where you can relax.
This can be in bed just before you'd ideally like to fall sleep, or wherever works best for you.
Relax using a hypnotic induction.
Begin by focusing on your breath. Then, initiate a progressive muscle relaxation by visualizing tension dissolving or evaporating away for your body, or slowly tense and relax each muscle group. Start by focusing your attention on your head, shoulders and neck, move down to your back, arms, stomach and chest, then legs and feet. You should begin feeling a deep and pleasant sense of relaxation.
Introduce a suggestion.
Think of simple but clear statements about what you can do differently for better sleep. In a focused state of hypnosis you will be able to pay deeper attention to these suggestions. It can be what you might do differently, such as ‘I will turn my devices off an hour before bed’. Or alternatively, focus on reacting differently to challenging situations, such as ‘I won’t panic if I wake up before my alarm. I will fall asleep again’. Just keep it simple. Alternatively, practice repeating an affirmation, like ‘I will sleep throughout the night and not wake up’, or ‘Tonight I will fall asleep easily and quickly’. These are all post-hypnotic suggestions, which means they’ll take effect after your self-hypnosis session has finished, helping you achieve better sleep.
Return to your usual level of alertness.
Become more alert and aware by counting to five while telling yourself you are becoming aware of your surroundings again. You can skip this step if you're trying self-hypnosis right before bedtime.
To target insomnia specifically, different hypnosis approaches can be used, such as visualizing the metaphor of a fish swimming deeper and deeper in the ocean for quality, deep sleep. You could also try an age-regression technique like focusing on your earlier memories of when restorative sleep came easily to you.
Practicing self-hypnosis is essential to see results. If you need more direction, try online recordings or digital health apps that guide you through a hypnosis program.
While a self-hypnosis program offered via the Nerva app is designed to support people with IBS and the Evia hypnosis app is for women experiencing menopause, clinical trials have shown that both can lead to improved sleep quality as a secondary benefit of completing the sessions.
The Wrap Up
If you experience prolonged sleep issues, consult with a healthcare provider to ensure you don’t have an underlying health condition contributing to your poor sleep. Self-hypnosis can be used as a tool to help with a range of sleep disturbances, including an inability to fall asleep, difficulties waking up, insomnia, and persistent nightmares or night terrors. It can help you change your behaviours and patterns around sleep. Remember, it takes practice to feel the benefits of self-hypnosis for better sleep, so be consistent with your efforts.
References
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