Healing sleep through hypnotherapy and energy medicine.
With life being so busy these days and with us being more exposed to having to manage more energies and information coming towards us daily, sleep seems to becoming more and more a task rather than being given the credit in which it deserves.
Sleep seems to be the last thing a person considers looking at when they are experiencing mental health or body issues, often looking into other areas being the problem when it can really be as simple as changing how you experience sleep and having you receive the rest that your body requires for you to feel rejuvenated and lively.
Redefining the power and importance of sleep to restore and rejuvenate
When your body goes into sleep phase its purpose is to bring it back into a neutral phase and restore its chemical balance. Neurologically it assists the brain to experience “synaptic normalisation” from being exposed to stimuli from the day and beta state brain processing. In doing so it allows for creating new synapses to retain and store new information and improve memory. Without “synaptic homeostasis” the synapses don’t have a chance to rest from firing, and this is where mental burn out can occur. It's like a power pack having too many outlets connected and then the safety switch will come on when its overloaded. So without enough sleep, the brain and body will not and can not function to its optimum capability.
The Circadian Rhythm ~ Your internal body clock
Taking age into consideration, it's recommended that the average person should be experiencing 6 to 8 hours sleep a night and anything less can also lower your quality of life and shorten your life expectancy. The cycle of sleep and being awake is based on one’s own circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is unique to each person and changes as we get older. It's like a 24 hour internal clock that's monitored in the background by your brain and functions to create a regular sleep routine. Therefor it works best when you have healthy sleep hygiene and habits of going to bed and waking at the same time. It becomes disrupted when this regular sleep cycle is changed. Common experiences known to do this are jet lag, daylight savings, or being kept up late by a show on TV or an event that has you up to early hours of the morning. You will feel your body clock is off and “out of whack”. Often those who work shift work will experience an imbalance in their circadian rhythm and trying to normalise their sleep habits.
The 4 stages of sleep into REM
The most general circadian rhythm cycle is usually 90 minutes with the first stage beginning when we go to sleep then into stage 2 then stage 3 and stage 4 deep sleep, moving into REM. However, not all stages are reached every cycle. Most stage 4 deep sleep happens during the first cycle and maybe the second, but rarely after that, so if a person goes to bed at 10:30 pm, they will reach their natural stage 4 sleep at midnight. Problems occur if that person goes to bed later, as they may not reach their normal stage 4 sleep, which will affect their performance. When your brain goes into deep sleep it goes into what is known as delta brain wave activity, and this is what is needed for the mind and body to achieve self healing and restoration.
In the early morning hours, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) state is experienced, which is known as "dream time". If this is missed and dreaming is not possible, this can create or increase feelings of anxiousness in a persons well- being. Dream time is an important part of being able to process and release. It is called REM state, as the body is usually paralysed during this time and only the eyes flutter.
Stage 1 sleep is the feeling when you are drifting off and if a person were to ask if you are asleep, your answer would be that you are "just resting your eyes". During this stage our mind goes through a sorting process, even trying to figure out problems, which can continue into stage 2.
The side affects of unhealthy sleep
The Central Nervous System is affected and the brain becomes exhausted due to not being able to slow down, cool down and rest. This can create:
Lack of mental focus and concentration
Inability to take in and retain new information
Lack of co-ordination and appropriate functioning of motor skills, therefore being more accident prone
Lack of motivation and exercise
Poor performance at work or at school
Not only does lack of sleep affect your cognitive abilities, but it also affects your emotional state resulting in:
Impatience
Mood swings
Lack of social skills
Anxiety
Poor diet
Lack of creativity and abstract thinking in problem solving and decision making process.
If sleep deprivation continues over a long period of time it can lead to:
Hallucinations
Mania with those who have manic depression
Impulsive behaviour
Depression
Paranoia
Suicidal thoughts
Other affects on the body due to sleep deprivation are on:
The Immune System ~ The body's ability to fight against disease and infection is lowered, therefore increasing the risk of major illness
Digestive System ~ Increased chance of weight gain and obesity are high due to decrease in leptin which controls stimuli of feeling full and ghrelin, which increases and controls appetite stimulation. (Plus being tired leads to lack of motivation to exercise)
Insulin levels can increase which encourages fat storage and potential risk of diabetes
Hormone production and balance is interrupted and affected and in cases where children and teenagers require the appropriate production of the growth hormone and stimulation of the pituitary gland
Cardiovascular system ~ A healthy heart is important for blood flow and circulation which is important for healing and repair
How Hypnotherapy works to help restore healthy sleep
The reason why Hypnotherapy is extremely successful for those who experience problems sleeping is because it is the threshold of sleep, as it guides the brain waves from beta to alpha, then theta and it is delta that sleep occurs.
The combination of guiding a person into a deep relaxation allows the subconscious to be accessed and when coupled with therapeutic techniques it can assist with creating profound changes in a persons well being. At the base of the brain, resides a cluster of nerves, known as the RAS. Its function is to regulate breathing and rhythms of the body. It is also responsible for filtering messages that run to and from the conscious brain. The RAS is also involved with habit formation, therefore, if bad sleep patterns have become serious, Hypnotherapy is a powerful way to create new healthy sleep habits and patterns.
We have many different aspects of ourselves that make up who we are, often, if there is internal conflict around which aspect is showing up around bed time, this can be an ongoing problem that may require external support.
There may be underlining emotional factors that could be preventing you from being able to achieve the sleep that you desire, and often these can be unconscious or deeply unresolved issues that are not allowing a space for inner peace and harmony.
Energy Medicine ~ Meridian Energetics and its affects on better sleeping
When you are experiencing fatigue, it can often be that there are other factors that are not allowing you to completely rest fully. For example if you experience pain in the body, bed time can be an uncomfortable and anxious process for you. Often getting comfortable in a position that is going to allow you to drift through the phases of sleep can be a frustrating task. Energy Medicine ~ Meridian Energetics is a unique modality that has affects on reducing pain and increasing energy flow to the meridian systems within the Etheric body.
The Etheric body is a layer of energy which can be explained to be seen as a blueprint of the physical body. If there is damage to the Etheric layer, it can also create high levels of tiredness and exhaustion as well as mental health issues.
Often when we experience over tiredness, we can begin to function on false energy, that is usually coming from more of a fight or flight response. Energy Medicine can assist with creating a sense of ease that can bring you back into feeling in the body rather than being in the head.
Prepare yourself for healthy sleeping habits
How do you prepare yourself for sleep?
Prepare your mind for wind down mode ~ Make sure when you get into bed you do not watch T.V. or be on your phone or in front of your computer. You need to not stimulate your mind before bed, otherwise, it's like giving a child red cordial just before bed. Would you do it?
Make sure you are on a comfortable bed or in a comfortable environment ~ Does the space you sleep in feel good? Is it the right temperature? Do you have the right pillow? Is it quiet or too noisy?
Avoid stimulant drinks that have caffeine in them a number of hours before bed ~ Instead try teas with a sedative and calming affect.
Avoid eating apples... yes... apples a number of hours before bed.
Do not exercise before going to bed
Avoid napping during the day ~ If you want to sleep through the night avoid sleeping in the day.
Go to bed when you are tired, at the same time each night and get up at the same time every morning. Don't sleep in too late or over-sleep.
Do not go to bed lazy, meaning, not having achieved some of the things that you needed to accomplish in your day otherwise your mind will be unresolved.
If there are other factors or circumstances that are preventing you from having healthy sleep practices then perhaps additional help can be sought to put together a plan to get you the rest and rejuvenation you need.
Bring back healthy sleep into your life
Changing habits and behaviour may seem like a lot of work, but we often forget that it takes energy doing the habit that isn't necessarily creating the best well-being for us, so lets use it to redirect it in a way that will.
If you feel that you require assistance to get your sleeping and well-being to a new level, then please contact me today.
Aliki Nektaria
thepathclearer.com