Insomnia- Sleep Like A Baby Using Self-Hypnosis

If you are feeling stressed or depressed, you may also be suffering from insomnia. Whether you have a hard time falling asleep, or you fall asleep promptly and then awaken later and are unable to fall back to sleep, you have a sleep disturbance.

THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF INSOMNIA

PSYCHO-REACTIVE INSOMNIA:

Tension is the most common cause of Psycho-reactive Insomnia. Worry is the most common reason that the person seems to be stuck in the "awake" mode. The worry can become compounded when the Insomnia suffer begins to worry about falling asleep. Insomnia sufferers often worry that they may become ill or die from lack of sleep.

ENDOGENOUS INSOMNIA:

This is usually caused by a discomfort within the body ranging from indigestion to pain.

EXOGENOUS INSOMNIA:

This is caused by disturbances outside of the body such as noise or loud neighbors. This is the easiest type of sleep disturbance to overcome.

FUNCTIONAL INSOMNIA:

This is caused by a functional problem in the subject's sleep-wakefulness center in the brain.

Many people who suffer from insomnia develop a phobia of getting into bed because they expect to lie awake. This expectancy will cause insomnia all by itself.

HERE ARE THE FACTS

1. No person ever became ill from a lack of sleep. The body and mind will get at least the minimum amount of rest that it needs, no matter what. If you lose some sleep one night, the next night you will get enough sleep to make up the loss.

2. Our internal clock brings about a valley of fatigue in cycles. Every four to six hours you will experience your maximum fatigue, and this is when it's easiest to fall asleep. Once you pass that valley of fatigue you will experience a renewed level of energy and it will become difficult for you to fall asleep.

3. Even if you are positive that you have not slept at all, it has been proven that every person sleeps during the night. Sometimes you feel that you've been lying awake thinking, but actually you have been sleeping lightly and dreaming.

4. Trying to fall asleep: There is a law of nature called "The Law of Reversed Effect." It says that if you "try" to do something, you will get the opposite. And the harder you "try," the more you will get the opposite. So, trying to fall asleep will insure that you will remain awake. Do not "try" to fall asleep, and do not try to will yourself to sleep. Merely allow yourself to fall asleep.

5. Alcohol will put you to sleep: This may be true, because alcohol is a depressant. However, as soon as the drink wears off, you will awaken abruptly and it will become very hard to fall back to sleep.

6. Sleeping pills can help: It is the dream phase of sleep in which you get your rest. Narcotics suppress the dream phase of sleep (REM sleep). That is why one generally awakens feeling more tired than before going to sleep after using sleeping pills.

EFFECTING A CURE

1. See when you feel most tired in the evening. From then on, every evening at least an hour before that time, take a bath that is slightly warmer than body temperature for twenty minutes. A shower won't have the intended effect.

2. Have a warm beverage, preferably not coffee or tea on account of the caffeine, which will wake you up. Warm milk is the best if your stomach can tolerate it.

3. Discontinue thoughts of problems that you have. Do not think about what you need to do tomorrow. If you are worried about forgetting what you have to do tomorrow, write it down.

4. Avoid stimulating thoughts and shows on television. If you must read, then read something that is uninspiring.

5. Reserve your bed for sleep. Watch television or read only from a chair or while on a couch.

6. Get into bed at least twenty minutes before your valley of fatigue. Once you are in bed, if worries begin to pop into your thoughts, repeat this mantra several times to yourself, "I'll think about it tomorrow." This will help to put a halt to the excessive thinking. Do not try to make your mind blank and don't try to fall asleep. Just allow yourself to get some rest.

7. For Endogenous Insomnia, you should eliminate the discomfort to the best of your ability.

8. For Exogenous Insomnia, make your room as quiet as you possibly can. If you have a partner who snores, you can move to another room. Running a fan can bring on sleep, as it will tend to cover up noises. The monotonous drone of the fan usually proves to be quite hypnotic and relaxing.

Practice hypnotherapy for insomnia daily. Tension exacerbates and can even cause a sleep disturbance. Self-hypnosis CD's can help you to promptly dissipate stress. Post-hypnotic suggestions for coping, and to encourage the anticpation of sleep can assist. Your sub vocalized slogan should be: "I fall asleep promptly, and sleep soundly and restfully all through the night."

Alan B. Densky, CH. is certified by the National Guild Of Hypnotists, and he is an NLP Practitioner. He offers self-hypnosis for insomnia CDs. He hosts a FREE hypnosis article index on his Neuro-VISION Video Hypnosis & NLP website.