Can We Cure Insomnia And Anxiety with Hypnosis?
Many people ask me if hypnosis can cure insomnia. They might even ask me, is it possible to talk with the subconscious mind to find out what it needs? Of course, this line of questioning often comes after the person has been taking a sleep medication doctor prescribed, and it has, as is almost often the case, failed them. The truth is that many of my initial clients come to me not to enhance their health, but because they are desperate enough to try anything, including so-called alternative medicine! Given how we have all been brainwashed by the slogan, “better living through chemistry” this hail-Mary attitude is understandable. So, to answer this question of whether we can cure insomnia and anxiety with hypnosis, I am happy to say that we can
What Kind of Insomnia Can We Cure With Hypnosis
. But before treating sleeplessness with hypnosis and/or acupuncture, I 
distinguish what form of insomnia the person before me is experiencing. One distinction is between what is called primary and secondary insomnia. Some people simply sleep less than the general populace, getting some four or five hours per night without feeling exhausted. Working from my New York clinic, I usually help these people handle the anxiety around the fact that they’re not sleeping as much as they would like (even though their body is in fact, okay with the amount of sleep they are receiving). That is called primary insomnia.
Secondary insomnia develops from a background of a normal sleep pattern. Therapy is focused on restoring the ‘lost’ sleep to its baseline state. This form of sleep disorder is often characterized by general hyper-arousal ,a cognitive overactivity. If there is difficulty staying asleep (early morning waking) then it is typically due to a form of depression, and is treated as such. Difficulty in getting to sleep generally indicates an anxiety-based condition, and a Report of Findings indicates a different treatment protocol.
When the patient and I agree that hypnosis is something from which they may benefit, I begin by letting them know that it’s nothing like they see in Youtube: hypnosis is a respected form of therapy that has been in use for many decades. In fact, the person is always aware of what’s going on and is able to make clear judgements as to how they wish to proceed. In my book that wrote on how to treat sleep using natural techniques, Rewired For Sleep: the 28-Day Insomnia Repair Program, I outline how the process of hypnosis (another word for focused visualization techniques), can be of help to anyone struggling with either insomnia or anxiety. My goal in my book is, in fact, a way for the individual to cure insomnia and anxiety, if that is the way they wish to go about it. More often I work with patients around the world, using Zoom.
Having the Tools to Cure Insomnia and Anxiety With Hypnosis
The goal is often to teach the patient self-hypnosis so they have tools to cure insomnia and anxiety. Acupuncture is more energetically based medicine, and requires that we use a completely different set of filters. In short, we would work toward either boosting the immune system and adrenals, which often are exhausted, and/or simultaneously unwinding the Sympathetic Nervous System (‘flight or fight mechanism). Often the SNS is ‘stuck’ in permanent overdrive. That can lead to a tightening of the body’s muscle system, setting off a cycle of dysfunction:
- A constricted lymph system leads to immune system breakdown
- Constricted arterial flow cuts off oxygen to the body
- Constricted venous flow creates a buildup of toxins such as lactic acid.
- Muscular Pain throughout the body which can leads to depression.
We can see how sleep deprivation can create a cycle of dysfunction that leads to greater problems down the road. A buildup of toxins and simultaneous lack of oxygenation leads to a compromised immune system, physical pain and, finally, emotional chaos. Chemical solutions only mask the problem, only exacerbating the cycle. This is how larger disease takes root in the body. It is our job to present alternative methods that address not only the symptom, but the cause of your sleep disorder. In this way we have a great chance to help you sleep better and be more vibrantly awake in the day. We want you to be living your best life every day.