Many people in our modern, technologically infused world are seeming to have more and more difficulty falling asleep and then getting quality sleep.
The ones with sleep problems in San Francisco that are best helped by hypnotherapy are the ones who have difficulty shutting off thoughts of all kinds… even positive ones… let alone the negative worries and concerns that don’t allow the brain to ‘shut off’ and allow them to drift off into a pleasant sleep. And there are others who wake up agitated during the night and find it nigh to impossible to get back into a positive sleep state.
Sometimes there are extraneous complications to sleeping well such as a partner who snores, or a partner who has “restless leg” syndrome, or a location that might have daily garbage pickup! We work to help the client be able to ignore those issues and get to sleep anyway, regardless of outside interferences.
A Two-Pronged Hypnotherapy Approach for Sleep Issues
There is a two-pronged approach that I employ with clients with sleep issues:
- First, we identify what seems to be the issue with sleep or getting to sleep. Often, it is not closing down thoughts from the day or thoughts of what needs to be done in the next day. Sometimes, it is an issue of an addiction to alcohol or tobacco. Sometimes, it is an unresolved relationship issue. We make a “laundry list” of those items that need to go and we do a session of EFT––the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is one of the Energy Therapies in which I lead the client through to “Let Go” and clear the energy meridians for change/healing to take place.
- Then we discuss what sort of quiet, calm, peaceful place they might want to imagine in their mind as a serene escape. They describe this place to me in detail so that I can recreate it for them when I create the relaxation/guided visualization part of the session. In that progressive relaxation, they close their eyes and are encouraged to relax head to toe to calm the body and calm the mind to be able to receive the positive suggestions they want to hear as they drop off to sleep peacefully and remain asleep through the night.
I record both the EFT and the Guided Visualization and send it to them as an MP3 recording attached to an email so they can listen to it nightly.
Here’s what one client said about his sleep issues:
“As a writer, I have an extremely active mind and I often am juggling 10 or more projects the same week. At night, especially if I work late, I have a recurring problem to turn off my mind, relax and fall asleep.
“Most nights, I sleep peacefully after reading before turning in. But several times a month, if I’m especially busy with multiple projects and impending deadlines, I can’t fall asleep or have difficulty falling into a deep sleep.
“When that happens, I use Kay’s suggestions for Guided Visualization from our sessions several years ago. I first imagine myself descending into warm, blue ocean as a scuba diver, breathing slowly and deeply through my regulator, letting the current push me slowly over the colorful coral that is teeming with dozens of fish.
If that’s not successful to solve my sleep issues, I picture myself laying in a canoe that is drifting along a twisting river with the bright sun shining down on me. In both of these Guided Visualizations, I use The Stoppage Method to remove negative thoughts of not sleeping from my mind as I tap my forehead 100 times.” – GZ, San Rafael, CA – Results may vary from person to person.
If you’re experiencing sleep problems in San Francisco, please contact Kay today.
Copyright: ljupco / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: betelgejze / 123RF Stock Photo
