The Restless Spirit

Last week's blog was about sleep and why it is so important that we get the recommended hours of rest each day. So I thought to write this week's blog about what happens when many people cannot get to sleep – basically, when they suffer from insomnia.

"What are you thinking when you should be asleep?" I ask after an insomniac comes to their first hypnotherapy session. Oftentimes, the sleep clinic they attended didn't find anything wrong physically while monitoring his or her brain. After I pose this question, I usually get a surprised look as though they want to say, "How do you know I was thinking about something while I was lying in bed trying to sleep?"

Eventually they would tell me about the issues they’d be dealing with – personally or professionally – which is primarily the culprit for all the sleepless nights. Oftentimes their problems with insomnia started when they began having these issues. They do everything to fall asleep: 'count sheep', read to bore themselves into a slumber, undergo acupuncture, take some herbal remedy or 'old folks' potion or a combination of the above. Some of these techniques may work for a while – if at all – and then they go back to the rhythm of “not sleeping”. This is because the real problem behind their inability to sleep was never targeted.

As their hypnotherapist, I usually go after the mental and emotional reason why they are not sleeping as opposed to the strictly scientific or medical method—going after the condition of insomnia and dealing with it by itself. Once I find out what their problems are, literally those that keep them up at night, I consciously coach them or use behavior modification to solve their problem, which may be career related or otherwise. After we determine a plan to correct it, I hypnotize them on the spot and give them the much needed rest (many go to sleep because they are so sleep deprived) they deserve.


John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
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