Swinging clocks. Mind control. Memory erasure. Clucking like a chicken on demand. Hypnotherapy has long been surrounded by an air of mystery and more than a few myths. But the reality is far calmer. When it comes to sleep issues, hypnotherapy is gaining quiet respect among those who struggle with insomnia and broken rest. Rather than a loss of control, hypnotherapy offers a focused, relaxed state where the mind can become open to guided suggestions.
Alexandra Vessay, a hypnotherapist who has worked with over 25,000 clients, defines hypnosis as “focus plus instruction”.
“What you’re really doing is walking somebody through their own internal processes, their own feelings, their previous experiences, through the imagery that they have in their minds, through the pictures in their heads. Holding their attention and giving them instructions.”
Hypnosis is typically described as a state of consciousness in which a person is intensely focused on a specific issue, reducing their peripheral awareness. Which is why individuals often appear in a trance-like state.
According to Alexandra, sleep is one of the few areas where “real value” lies in “really” hypnotising someone, so they feel as though they are in an “altered state”.
The aim of sleep hypnotherapy isn’t to send someone to sleep during the session itself. Instead, it works by addressing any negative thoughts, stressors, or anxieties an individual may have related to sleep.
Accredited hypnotherapist, Owen Lewis, with over a decade of experience, describes hypnosis as a “deep state of comfort”.
“It’s all to do with the subconscious mind, and supporting people to bypass their subconscious mind in a productive way.” he says.
However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Both Owen and Alexandra stress the importance of tailoring therapy to each client and recognising the individuality of each hypnotherapist’s practices. A hypnotherapist typically begins by trying to build a wider picture of the client and the issue they are struggling with.
“You’re really taking a person as a whole and looking at everything that’s going on in their life. Because the chances are, if you can pull out the stress, solve the anxiety, including the fear of going to bed, which then becomes a thing for people who’ve developed insomnia. Then sleep will take care of itself”, says Alexandra.
This fear, she adds, is one of the biggest disruptors of sleep.
“They become anxious that they’re going to be lying awake for hours in the middle of the night. They’re anxious that they’re not going to be okay tomorrow, which is a huge thing. It’s what if I can’t cope tomorrow?”
One of the key principles in Alexandra’s work is helping clients move away from the idea that sleep is something they have to ‘try’ and do. Instead, she reminds them that “the body sleeps you”.
She also aims to challenge any pre-existing beliefs an individual may have about their sleep, suggesting there’s an exact correlation between how you identify yourself and how you perform.
“People will tell me ‘oh I’m a terrible sleeper, I’m a poor sleeper, I’m a light sleeper, I’ve never slept well’ and it’s like they brought it into being because they’re anticipating a poor night’s sleep. They believe they won’t sleep well, and as a result, that’s what happen.” she says.
Owen often uses a common hypnotherapy technique: visualisation. “Often what I’m asking people to do is visualise the whole process of them going to have a successful night’s sleep, seeing themselves going to bed and knowing that they’re going to be waking up successfully.” he says
He also provides his clients with recordings that reinforce what was covered in their session. While many people instinctively listen to these before bed, Owen recommends listening to them during the day as a preparation for an individual’s sleep hygiene.
Whilst these tactics may not work for everyone, interest in it as a natural approach to sleep support is steadily growing. “I help a lot of people to sleep, it’s one of the most common issues in my clinic”, says Alexandra.
She attributes this rise partly to people being more reluctant to take too much medication.
“Big things on the market, like Zaleplon, will tend to zombify somebody and have big side effects. So what they’re actually most worried about comes true. A lot of people are worried that they won’t be okay the next day, and then they’ll take a drug, a heavy sedative, and they’ll find that they can’t keep their eyes open.” she says.
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Some studies have found modest benefits from sleep hypnotherapy. One found that simply suggesting someone “sleep deeper” during hypnosis increased slow-wave sleep.
Still, Owen notes it’s “difficult” to break down and see the evidence of hypnotherapy because “there could never be a standardised research of hypnotherapy as all hypnotherapists are different and use different methods.
“Asking hypnotherapists to do the same thing would be diluting what hypnotherapy is anyway.”
By promoting deep relaxation and helping to reframe unhelpful thoughts and emotions, hypnosis may offer a valuable tool for improving sleep, especially for those living with insomnia.
In a world that so often tells us to do more, hypnotherapy reminds us that sometimes, rest begins with simply letting go.
