Do you dream of a good nights sleep?

Do you struggle getting to sleep?

Do you find it hard to sleep through the night?

Do you find it difficult to get the recommended 7-9 hours sleep per night?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you are not alone! More and more people are finding they can not get the sleep they need and due to this their health is suffering.

​I have helped many clients overcome problems of not being able to get a good night’s sleep. We all have the odd night that we can’t sleep or have periods in our lives that sleep is more difficult (i.e. a new baby). However some people just don’t know what it's like to fall asleep when their head hits the pillow and have 8 hours sleep! Also many people find they can initially get to sleep, but wake up in the middle of the night and just can't get back to sleep.

Sleep is really important to functioning properly and feeling ourselves. The effects of sleep deprivation can be:

• Fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation
• Moodiness and irritability
• Inability to cope with stress
• Reduced immunity; frequent colds and infections
• Concentration and memory problems
• Weight gain
• Impaired motor skills and increased risk of accidents
• Difficulty making decisions
• Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems

Hypnotherapy can help you relax and have a good night’s sleep you yearn for. Especially if you are stressed or your mind works overtime as soon as your head hits the pillow.

Nevertheless there are things you can do to help yourself get a good night's sleep:

1. Stick to a schedule. Sticking to a schedule allows your body to set its internal rhythm so your body knows it time to sleep and you consistently get enough sleep every night. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too; otherwise it will disrupt your internal rhythm.

2. Sleep only at night. Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. If you need to take a nap limit daytime sleep to a 20-minute power nap.

3. Exercise. It’s well known that exercise helps you sleep better. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure not to exercise too late in the evening. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

4. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.

5. Avoid eating just before bed. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep. This allows digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.

6. Avoid caffeine. It keeps you awake and that’s not what you want for a good nights sleep. Also if you drink alcohol, keep it to one drink. As one relaxes you, more will stimulate your system and keep you awake.

7. Read a book. It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into a really good book. Then you can take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep.

8. Have your bedroom slightly cooler. Do not have your room too warm as this encourages you to wake. Our inner clock wakes when it’s warmer and lighter (i.e. morning).

9. De-clutter your bedroom. Your bedroom should be clutter free and a calming environment. Your bedroom is for sleeping, so no phones, upbeat music or TV.

10. If you can’t sleep don’t worry about it. If you are just lying in bed tossing and turning, don’t get annoyed with yourself. Try getting up for a little while, then going back to bed. Maybe the time you go to bed is too early for you. Some people are larks and others are owls. If you can’t sleep and you may be going to bed earlier and earlier as you are tired. However if you are a night owl this will make it even harder to go to sleep.

One of the important things is not to label yourself as a person who has problems sleeping, the more you do this the more your conscious and unconscious will believe it. Remember you are what you think! Also you used to sleep, so there is no reason why you can't sleep through the night again. You need to relax and not worry about not sleeping.

Hypnotherapy is total relaxation of the mind and body, therefore it is extremely helpful with aiding sleep. I also teach my clients self hypnosis, which is a great tool if you are prone to waking during the night.

If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy can help you get the night's sleep you can only dream of or to arrange a free initial consultation please contact me on 07875 652338. Alternatively email me at ali@desireforchange.co.uk