Sleep hypnosis: What it is and how it works

Sleep is one of the most crucial parts of life, and a lack of sleep or difficulty staying asleep can lead to mental and physical health challenges. One method that individuals may use to better their sleep is sleep hypnosis. If you’re interested in trying a new modality for your sleep challenges, it may be helpful to look at sleep hypnosis in further detail, explore how it works, and investigate standard techniques mental health professionals may use during sleep hypnosis. 

The importance of sleep

The amount of quality sleep you get (or don't get) can affect virtually every aspect of your health. For example, sleep deficiency is linked to kidney disease, depression, heart disease, and many more conditions. Additionally, despite the significant impact of sleep on health, statistics suggest that one-third of adults in the US don't get enough quality sleep.

Doctors may use many methods to help their patients get better sleep. Medication is an option, but experts say medication may not be the best choice for long-term relief due to potential side effects. Instead, doctors may prefer to use non-medicinal treatments such as sleep hypnosis.

What causes sleep problems?

Beyond sleep disorders like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, there are everyday reasons why individuals may struggle to get quality sleep, including but not limited to the following: 

• Life stressors like work, family, and finances
• Significant life events like the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss
• Sleep disruption, which is commonly associated with anxiety, depression, PTSD, psychosis, and substance use disorders
• An irregular sleep schedule 
• Too much screen time right before bed 
• Uncomfortable sleeping conditions. 
• Using the bed for tasks other than sleep and intimacy, like eating, working, and watching TV
• Work schedules and travel for work, particularly for people who work early or late shifts or regularly travel across time zones
• Some medications and medical conditions
• Substances, alcohol, smoking, and caffeine
• Aging and changes in activity levels

Because of its close association with stress and mental health challenges, sleep hypnosis is often used with psychotherapeutic techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Like hypnosis, CBT may allow clients to identify the roots of the thought distortions that cause mental and emotional challenges, unwanted behaviors, and relationship turbulence. CBT may also help an individual process barriers to well-being and create management skills to handle them in the future.

What is sleep hypnosis?

The term hypnosis may conjure different ideas for different people. The American Psychological Association (APA) officially describes it as "a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests, while treating someone, that they experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts or behavior." One can undergo hypnosis to assist with smoking cessation, weight loss, pain management, and other challenges. Sleep hypnosis specifically aims to help clients reach a state of deep relaxation and sleep.

Individual responses to hypnosis can vary significantly according to factors such as a person's level of suggestibility, personal beliefs, and openness to the process. Still, numerous studies show that sleep hypnosis is a significantly effective method for treating insomnia and other sleep challenges. 

How does sleep hypnosis work in the brain

The exact mechanisms that make hypnosis effective aren’t totally clear, but research may provide some clues about what happens to the brain during hypnosis. In one such study, a team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine offered therapeutic guided hypnosis sessions for 57 subjects. During the sessions, the participants underwent brain scans to illuminate what happens neurologically during the hypnosis process. 

The scans indicated increased activity and connectivity during hypnosis in regions of the brain referred to as the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is associated with daydreaming, self-reflection, and relaxed states of consciousness during meditation. 

Areas of the brain responsible for motor control and, processing and controlling physiological information also showed changes in activity during hypnosis. Sleep hypnosis can calm the body and facilitate interaction with the part of the brain that allows individuals to process thoughts, emotions, memories, and perceptions more relaxed. 

Sleep hypnosis techniques

Hypnosis often consists of four distinct stages to help the individual attain a hypnotic state, maintain that state, and emerge from that state more enriched. Below is a description of how a session might work.  

Induction

In the first stage of hypnosis, the therapist can provide a comfortable, distraction-free environment where you can start the relaxation process and focus your attention. In a soothing voice, the therapist may guide you through techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, and focusing on a sound or visual image. 

Deepening

Deepening involves creating more relaxation and focus by using descending imagery, such as imagining yourself walking down a long flight of stairs or counting backward. The deepening phase focuses on helping open your consciousness to suggestion, which is the next phase. 

Suggestion

Once you've reached a state of deep relaxation, your therapist may use hypnotic suggestion techniques. For example, they may use gentle verbal instructions and guided imagery to offer suggestions and relieve symptoms or further explore your experiences associated with them. This stage often uses positive suggestions to put you in a mental state more receptive to creating change in your emotions, memory, perception, thoughts, experience, and behavior. 

Emergence

In a hypnotic session, emergence involves gently guiding the client to a post-hypnotic state. Like in the deepening phase, your therapist may ask you to count upwards or provide a visual focus, such as ascending a flight of stairs in your mind, to assist your emergence from hypnosis.  

Does self-hypnosis work?

Studies on self-hypnosis suggest it may effectively treat several challenges, including physical pain, anxiety and stress-related conditions, and sleep disturbances. Several hypnosis resources are available to help you fall asleep and achieve deep sleep. For example, you may listen to guided sleep meditations on YouTube channels like SleepTube, websites like Sleepcove.com, and apps like BetterSleep, which offer tools and resources to help you achieve better sleep in the day ahead. 

Professional support options

Mental health professionals are often available to help position individuals on the road to enhanced sleep. However, some people with sleep problems may find it challenging to attend in-person therapy due to fatigue and other common symptoms of poor sleep. In these cases, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be an effective alternative. 

Studies have consistently shown that therapy accessed online is as effective as in-person counseling. One study strongly suggested that virtually guided CBT treatment significantly reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and other psychological challenges. In addition, online therapy is often more cost-effective and flexible than in-person options, allowing clients to choose a time slot that best fits their needs and choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions. 

Takeaway

Recognizing and prioritizing peaceful sleep can be crucial to maintaining optimal physical and mental health, promoting cognitive performance, and enhancing overall well-being. To prioritize healthy sleep, some experts recommend maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment, and limiting exposure to stimulating activities or screens close to bedtime. While these actions may seem like simple fixes, they may not work for everyone.  

In such cases, using sleep hypnosis may help. However, keeping an open mind while working with sleep hypnosis can be crucial. Experiences often vary from person to person, and while some find it highly effective, others may not. 

In such cases, some people with sleep troubles find practical assistance from apps such as BetterSleep, which often feature science-based tools to help individuals get more restful sleep. Features might include guided sleep meditation and hypnosis, relaxation and meditation techniques, and aural aids like binaural beats, ASMR, and nature sounds. You can also reach out to a therapist at any time for guidance, and they will respond when they can.