Does Sleep Hypnosis Really Work?

It has appeared on TV shows and cartoons time and time again. At first glance, hypnosis would look more like science fiction than reality. But does sleep hypnosis work? If so, how is it used in modern medicine? If you are suffering from sleep apnea, Melbourne Dental Sleep clinic can help.

What is sleep hypnosis?

The process of sleep hypnosis happens when a hypnotherapist introduces a series of verbal cues to the patient to put them into a deep trance-like state. The power of suggestion works strongly in this process and is the medium used to draw the patient into the trance. While in the trance, the hypnotherapist will use various ways to induce relaxation. When a patient is hypnotized, the treatment is designed to let them drift off to sleep when they hear words such as “relax”, “take it easy” or “deep sleep”.

Does sleep hypnosis really work?

It all sounds like a piece of a science fiction novel, but can sleep hypnosis really be applied in real life? There is a lot of talk about sleep hypnosis. After hearing all the speculation, it would seem that it would work on some, but not on others. There seems to be a lot of “placebo effect” that surrounds sleep hypnosis because the result would highly depend on how much the patient would want to be hypnotized.

In short, sleep hypnosis can work. But it would all depend on how “suggestible” the patient is. This refers that if the patient is more eager for the sleep treatment to be effective, and they genuinely believe in the treatment, the more likely it is for the sleep hypnosis to work on that specific patient. With this information, it is safe to say that sleep hypnosis alone may not be an advisable treatment method for sleep disorders.

Other alternatives to sleep hypnosis

Since it is impossible to solely rely on sleep hypnosis for the treatment of sleep disorders, a patient can listen to relaxing music before bed. Experts say that the most common reason for not being able to sleep would be that the mind would be active. Music can help calm the mind and get it into a more relaxed state that would be ideal for sleeping.

If that does not work, consider approaching your doctor about cognitive behavioral therapy. Your doctor will be able to give you advice on what to change in your sleeping patterns and habits to better improve sleep. Sleep hypnosis also might be a recommendation for you, but your doctor can be the one to tell you which treatment option would work best for your case.