Sleep disorders
By helping us manage the day, rest and heal, sleep has a huge impact on our health and overall well-being. When we're sleep-deprived, we can start to feel exhausted, demotivated and even more easily overwhelmed by stress.
After a prolonged period of poor sleep, both mental and physical health can be affected. This can lead to conditions such as depression, heart disease and diabetes. It can even reduce your life expectancy.
We know that sleep is important, but for some of us, getting to bed early isn't so easy. Sleep problems can make sleep unattainable, and cause anxiety. Here we take a closer look at sleep, including common sleep problems, and how hypnosis can help overcome them.
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The most common sleep problems
There are many different types of sleep problems, with different sets of symptoms. We've outlined some of the most common sleep problems below, and how they can affect you.
Sleep disorders are permanent conditions with lasting effects on sufferers. If you are concerned about your sleep patterns, it is always advisable to consult your GP. He or she can carry out tests to ensure that there is no underlying physical condition. He or she can also help you diagnose whether you are suffering from a sleep disorder and recommend the various treatment options that might best suit your condition.
Hypnosis can help you solve sleep problems, such as bedwetting, sleep disorders and related night-time anxiety.
Insomnia
Insomnia, perhaps the best-known sleep disorder, occurs when we have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep long enough, to feel refreshed the next morning. Often, insomnia can lead sufferers to experience extreme anxiety about their ability to get enough sleep, making it even more difficult to sleep.
Nightmare disorder
Almost all of us have experienced a nightmare, a frightening, sad or traumatic dream, which can wake us up, or make us feel un-rested. Nightmares can have many reasons, such as the side effects of medication, and for some, they become a condition called nightmare disorder.
Nightmare disorder is diagnosed when a person wakes up constantly in their sleep because of nightmares. They tend to wake up feeling very alert, and may find it difficult to go back to sleep, due to the stress they are under. If you're concerned that you or a loved one may be suffering from nightmare disorder, it's important to talk to your GP for an official diagnosis and support.
Night terrors
Not to be confused with nightmares, night terrors cause an individual to awaken suddenly from sleep, and in a state of panic. You're likely to feel disoriented and unable to communicate. If you are a victim of night terrors, you often feel in danger, which may lead you to try to "escape" from the threat, or the perceived situation. In many cases, people who experience night terrors will have no memory of the event the following morning.
Restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological condition that causes unpleasant sensations in the legs, which can only be relieved by movement. Restless legs syndrome tends to occur when a person is more relaxed, usually when trying to fall asleep. This can have an understandable effect on sleep, with sufferers feeling exhausted and anxious at the prospect of insufficient sleep.
The main symptom is an irresistible urge to move the legs. Other common symptoms may include an unpleasant crawling or creeping sensation in the thighs, calves and feet, as well as involuntary jerking movements. Symptoms can vary in severity. If the cause is often not obvious, it may run in the family. Lifestyle changes are recommended, such as improving sleeping habits, quitting smoking and taking regular exercise. For more serious cases, your GP may recommend medication or iron supplements.
Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking is the practice of a series of actions, including walking and wandering, during sleep. The person will probably have their eyes open at the time, and may appear clumsy and confused. More common in children and adolescents, sleepwalking can also occur in adults. Certain conditions, such as panic attacks, can increase the risk of sleepwalking.
Teeth grinding
Also known as bruxism, involuntary teeth grinding, or jaw clenching, can lead to dental damage, and headaches. For some, it's due to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Recreational drugs and certain prescription medications can also cause teeth grinding.
Sleep paralysis
The experience of sleep paralysis can be frightening. Sufferers may wake up and find themselves unable to move. Others have also reported feeling as if someone else is in their room, overwhelming feelings of fear, or the sensation that someone is pushing them down. Sleep experts say this often happens during REM sleep, and when sleep is disrupted during a dream.
The body releases hormones to relax the body during sleep, to ensure that we don't act out our dream, and when we dream, these hormones are at work. So when we're awakened in the middle of a dream, it can take some time for the body to regain its ability to move. A person suffering from sleep paralysis will be conscious in their mind, but unable to move their body. Although this can be frightening, it causes no damage to the body.
Sleep paralysis has also been linked to a range of other conditions, including insomnia, narcolepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, general anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. People whose sleep patterns are disrupted, due to shift work, jet lag, or an irregular sleep schedule, or even who have a family history of sleep paralysis, may also be affected.
Increasing the amount of physical exercise, establishing a regular bedtime, and getting six to eight hours of sleep a night, can all help. Working with a hypnotherapist to treat any underlying anxiety, can also be beneficial.
How hypnosis can help overcome sleep disorders
If your sleep disorder is related to anxiety, stress or unhealthy habits, hypnosis can help. The goal of hypnosis for sleep disorders is to help you discover their causes, and give you the tools to help you change bad habits, negative thought patterns, and related problems.
Sleep disorders can often lead to anxiety, as sufferers may fear going to bed and not getting enough sleep. Hypnosis aims to reduce this anxiety, by suggesting different responses to your subconscious.
You'll learn self-hypnosis techniques. This means you'll be able to continue reinforcing the positive changes you've initiated during your sessions, in the comfort of your own home. Some may also recommend relaxation techniques, or even give you audio recordings to listen to.
