How To Get A Good Nights Sleep
Gentle, practical ways to calm your mind, prepare your body for rest and rediscover a healthier sleep pattern.
Hypnotherapy for Better Sleep
Clinical hypnotherapy can be a valuable source of support for people experiencing sleeping difficulties. Even a few sessions can begin to make a wonderful difference to the quality of your sleep.
After a session, you will receive a relaxation recording which you can listen to as you drift off.
You could also try self-hypnosis and some of the suggestions on this page. Sometimes it is the smallest changes that make the biggest difference.
Creating the Right Environment for Sleep
The unconscious mind regulates our sleep patterns, although we often feel that sleep is something we should be able to control consciously. In reality, our task is simply to create the right conditions and allow sleep to happen naturally.
An Overstimulated Mind
When we engage in overthinking at night, whether it is focusing on things we wished we had done differently, something someone said that upset us, or worries about the following day, we are stimulating our mind and waking ourselves up. We can also get caught up in phones and screens, creating mental alertness and even emotional stress. The best time to focus on problems or catch up on news and entertainment, is when we are fully awake. At bedtime, it is important to slow down your mind and body using any of the calming techniques which work best for you, including breathing, physical relaxation, meditations and deciding to talk to someone about your worries or writing them down.
Physical Stimulants
Certain chemicals stimulate our bodily systems into being alert and ready for action. Common ones are caffeine, nicotine, sugar, alcohol and even certain food additives. Some of the drugs people think are relaxing can actually affect sleep quality, waking them up after only a few hours or making them feel worse in the morning. A heavy meal, or feeling hungry can lead to discomfort too. And even though exercise is a great way to destress, high intensity exercise too close to bedtime can spike adrenaline and increase body heat, keeping us awake. Alternatively, if we are not moving our bodies at all during the day they can feel restless at night, so a balance of activity is usually best.
Stress & Disruption
When we are experiencing high levels of stress it can put our body into fight or flight mode which sends us a message that we are not safe. To sleep we need to feel safe and therefore calm and relaxed. Our bodies also feel safer when they have familiar routines and rhythms, so a regular sleep routine can make it easier to fall asleep. A comfortable environment is also key to feeling relaxed at bedtime and most people find it soothing to sleep in a cool, quiet, dark space, so keeping curtains closed, using a blackout blind and ear plugs or listening to calming meditations can ease us into sleep.
Sleep & Neurodivergence
For others, especially those with neurodivergence, these strategies might need to be tailored in a slightly different way. For example, white noise can help with an overstimulated mind, weighted blankets can soothe the emotional and physical body, and due to circadian rhythm delays it is important to be consistent with waking times even if getting to sleep is difficult.
When Your Mind Becomes Busy at Bedtime
It is very common for people to go to bed and then begin to think about problems and worries. This type of thinking once again stimulates our minds, expanding our anxieties. It is natural to think when we are lying waiting on sleep to come, but wouldn’t you rather switch off and enjoy this period of rest?
It is natural for thoughts to appear while you are lying in bed waiting for sleep. Rather than following each thought, it can help to simply notice it and remember that it is only a thought - nothing more.
“Problems are usually easier to approach when you are awake and refreshed the following day.”
Things to Do During the Evening
A calmer evening can help signal to your mind and body that the active part of the day is coming to an end.
Be Mindful of Caffeine
Keep Sleep for Bedtime
Put Worries Down
Try Gentle Movement & Gentle Breathing
Practise Self-Hypnosis
Create a Wind-Down Period
Prepare Your Bedroom
Is your bedroom comfortable, calming and neither too hot nor too cold? Small adjustments to light, temperature, noise and comfort can make the room feel much more inviting for sleep.
Leave the Day Behind, One Step at a Time
During self-hypnosis, imagine yourself walking slowly down a staircase as you count from ten to one. With each step, allow yourself to become more comfortable and relaxed.
You might imagine leaving one worry on each stair. By the time you reach the bottom, those worries have been set aside for the night.
Alternatively, imagine placing them safely in a basket, box or drawer. They will still be there tomorrow if you need them—but you do not need to carry them into sleep.
When You Go To Bed
Keep a Regular Pattern
Try getting up at approximately the same time and, where possible, following a regular bedtime routine.
Dim the Lights
Darkness provides an important signal that prepares the body for sleep.
Notice “Sleepy Tired”
Try going to bed when the body begins to feel genuinely sleepy rather than simply because the clock says it is bedtime.
Relax Into the Bed
Notice your head sinking comfortably into the pillow and your breathing becoming slower and deeper as you leave the day behind.
Allow Sleep to Find You
Sleep is the work of the unconscious mind. You do not need to force or control it. Allow yourself to enjoy the rest, comfort and quiet until sleep comes naturally.
If Sleep Does Not Come
If You Are Lying Awake
Reassure Yourself
Many people experience occasional difficulty sleeping. The body is remarkably capable of coping after a difficult night.
Continue Practising
Self-hypnosis may only help a little at first, and you may sometimes find it difficult to focus or imagine. That is perfectly all right. Simply taking time to rest can have a positive effect.
Stop Trying to Force Sleep
There is no need to try harder or worry about the following day. Forget the clock, follow your breathing and allow yourself to rest.
Get Up if You Need To
If you are still wide awake, you may have gone to bed before you were ready. Get up and do something quiet and calming, then return to bed when you feel “sleepy tired”.
Would You Like Support With Your Sleep?
If difficulties with sleep are affecting your wellbeing, clinical hypnotherapy can help you relax more deeply, quieten an overactive mind and begin developing a more positive relationship with sleep. You can contact Amanda by filling out the contact form at the bottom of the page.