If you are reading this you are probably already too familiar with insomnia and sleepless nights. Experts believe that one in three of us suffer from insomnia or sleep related problems at some stage in our lives. According to the “Truth About Sleep BBC Documentary” we are sleeping almost 2 hours less than we were 60 years ago. 40% of the population are actually getting less than 6 hours sleep per night.
Sleep is a much studied subject and countless researchers and physicians worldwide continue to study the negative affects of lack of sleep. Stanford University state that there are over 100 different types of sleep disorders ranging from difficulty sleeping at night to problems with excessive daytime sleepiness.
When peoples’ lives are greatly affected by sleep deprivation and they just want to know what they can do about it so that they can get to sleep naturally.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is defined as a difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up too early, or not getting restful, restorative sleep.
Acute insomnia is defined as insomnia that lasts a few weeks and is usually the result of emotional or physical stress or anxiety.
Chronic insomnia is defined as difficulty sleeping for at least 3 nights a week or more for more that 1 month and is often associated with medical or psychological disorders.
How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Your Health?
Everybody has a broken night’s sleep every now and then but when it happens more often it may be affecting your overall health.
Symptoms of insomnia include lack of energy, problems with memory or concentration, daytime sleepiness, impairments to attention and memory, poor performance and problems with family due to irritability. Lack of sleep alters a person’s mood and can predispose then to anxiety, depression and other mood related disorders.
There is lots of evidence to show that lack of sleep can also contribute to weight gain and type 2 diabetes, as people reach for carbohydrate and sweet foods as their glucose levels have been affected by lack of sleep.
Our thoughts, feelings and beliefs about sleep play an important role in getting a comfortable nights sleep. Whether you lie awake worrying about the future or ruminating about the past everyone can learn the skill of stilling the mind. If reoccurring dreams keep you awake, then perhaps your mind is trying to resolve something that therapy can further facilitate.
Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy for Insomnia and Sleep Related Problems
There’s lots of evidence supporting hypnotherapy and psychotherapy is one of the most effective ways of treating insomnia and sleep related problems. The word hypnosis is from the Greek god of sleep and is effective in training the mind and body to relax deeply. The treatment for insomnia includes the use of therapeutic interventions to establish and ultimately ease the conscious or subconscious reasons why you may like awake at night.
“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?”
– Ernest Hemingway
Poor sleep, insomnia and sleep related problems can have a huge impact on your health and wellbeing, leaving you feeling exhausted and worn-out. If you are not getting adequate or restorative sleep and would like to find out how hypnotherapy and psychotherapy can help, please give me a call.
