Sleep Hypnosis
Last updated: December 2020
Home > Information & Support > Adults > Sleep Hub >What is sleep hypnosis?
Some people use sleep hypnosis as a tool to help them fall asleep. It is a technique that involves relaxing and drawing you into a trance-like state, letting go of any anxiety. It may increase the amount of time you spend in deep sleep which is what you need for memory and healing.
How can it help?
Hypnosis may help if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Insomnia: not being able to fall asleep, or struggling to stay asleep
- Using medication, tablets or alcohol to sleep well
- Struggling to stay awake in the day
Does sleep hypnosis work?
It doesn’t always work well for some people – it depends on how suggestible you are – and it often doesn’t work as a stand-alone treatment.
Many find it needs to be integrated with a cognitive behavioural therapy approach or implementing improved sleep hygiene strategies. There are other relaxation techniques you can try too such as breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness.
It’s important to rule out any underlying health reasons why you’re not sleeping well but your GP should be able to refer you to a hypnotherapist or recommend resources (such as books or audio materials) through which you can learn self-hypnosis for better sleep.