5 Great Tips for Deeper, Restful Sleep

Our program, Relief from Insomnia, is great at teaching your unconscious new tools for re-establishing that habit of deep, restful sleep.  And while hypnosis mp3 programs are great at helping insomnia, we also know that establishing good sleeping habits is part of what makes the program work.  With that in mind, we thought it would be helpful to share 5 great tips for deeper, restful sleep.

1.  Developing a consistent sleep and wake time.  We know that the unconscious mind responds well to consistency.  It has been said that 21 repetitions creates a new physical habit.  So try this:  go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time for 21 straight days.  We think you’ll find that your body begins to respond to that routine in a positive way.  Many people who suffer from insomnia do so because they have developed an inconsistent pattern of when they go to sleep at night and when they wake up.  See what happens if you make this new commitment.

2.  Give yourself time to transition from waking to sleep.  Many people watch TV, surf the web or even work right up until bedtime.  Giving yourself a transition time between activity and sleep can help you to fall asleep more easily.  Turn off the TV and computer, put on some relaxing music, have a cup of herbal tea and take some time to reflect on the day.  Looking back over your day can help you resolve some inner conflicts before you lie down and therefore you won’t take them into your dreams.  Journal, meditate, do some gentle yoga, and decompress from your day.  You’d be amazed how easy it is to sleep when you don’t take your stress into your bed.

3.  Use essential oils to help you relax.  Lavender can be especially effective when rubbed on the soles of your feet.  Drip a little lavender, chamomile and neroli on your pillow and breath in the calming, soothing, and balancing scents.  They are also very good at relieving anxiety.  You could also drip some into a warm bath (not too hot) and soak away your troubles.  Other effective oils for sleep and relaxation are bergamot, clary sage, marjoram, sandalwood, juniper and ylang ylang.

4.  Avoid caffeine and other stimulates in the afternoon and evening.  The more you limit your caffeine later in the day, the better chance it has of leaving your system before bedtime.  In general, you should limit your use of caffeine during the day.  Coffee, tea, chocolate, sodas, energy drinks are all sources of caffeine and the more you use them, the more you stress your body’s ability to adapt.  If you can, break your dependence on caffeine in order to get through the day.  Caffeine can be useful when necessary, however you don’t want your happiness or energy dependent on a chemical.

5.  Get regular exercise.  Besides all of the other health benefits of regular exercise, it can help reduce your mental, emotional and physical stress and burn off excess energy, making it easier to sleep at night.  The key is that you exercise during the day, not later in the evening.  When you exercise at night, you actually stimulate yourself and make it more difficult to fall asleep.  You don’t have to spend hours at the gym either.  15-30 minutes a day of vigorous exercise can provide tremendous benefit.  Exercise also helps stimulate brain function and allows you to think more clearly, which can reduce stress.

There are other great tips in the Lifestyle Action Steps pdf included in the Relief from Insomnia program.  So start taking action today that will pay off with great sleeping habits tomorrow.

Is Hypnosis a Good Alternative to Sleep Medication for Insomnia?

Many people today have trouble getting a good night’s sleep.  And because of that they suffer from a variety of ailments.  They have trouble concentrating, get anxious, get sick more often, and can develop psychological problems in the long term.  Unfortunately, prescription medication for insomnia causes as many problems as it attempts to help.

Many prescription and over the counter sleep aids are addictive.  And among those that aren’t, there are many other unpleasant side affects.  They include drowsiness, confusion, forgetfulness and dry mouth.  Also, most medications lose effectiveness over time so you have to take more of it to work and the side effects increase.  And then there is the problem of what happens when you try to stop taking the medication.

So, it would seem like an alternative approach to medication would be helpful for insomnia sufferers.  Fortunately, there are and there are studies to prove their effectiveness.  

A study in Norway (Dr. Borge Sivertsen, from the University of Bergen) found that behavioral therapies produced a 90.1% sleep efficiency rating (the time spent in bed actually sleeping).  Whereas the prescription medication zopiclone was no more effective than a placebo (81.9% sleep efficiency rating).  And the great thing about behavioral therapies is that they increase the natural ability of a person to solve their own problems and live a more fulfilling life.

Another major difference between behavioral therapy and medication was in the quality of slow wave sleep (or deep sleep).  Therapy  raised the patients' average slow-wave sleep 27% by the end of treatment, and had increased it 34% six months later.  On the other hand, patients who took the sleeping pill had a big drop in the amount of slow-wave sleep they got. They had 20% less slow-wave sleep at the end of treatment. Six months later, they had 23% less slow-wave sleep.

So which approach would you rather take?  One that is more effective with no negative side effects or one that is less effective, addictive and can make you feel worse?  The choice is an easy one.  The key is finding a behavioral approach that is less expensive than medication.  That’s where we come in.

Hypnosis is one of the most powerful behavioral techniques because it addresses the subconscious mind (which controls 88-90% of our behavior).  By resolving those inner conflicts and teaching the subconscious a new habit of easy and effective sleep, you can learn to sleep more efficiently and deeply without any negative side effects.  In fact, you could say that one of the most powerful side effects would be how much happier and productive you are.

The great thing about our new Relief from Insomnia product, is that it combines the powerful subconscious techniques of hypnosis along with great conscious tips (in our Lifestyle Action Steps pdf) for developing great sleeping habits.  And it is about as inexpensive as you can get.  Imagine being able to sleep easily and consistently through the night, even when you are away from home.  Now that is one of my favorite side effects.