- Do you struggle to sleep at night?
- Do you wake up during the night? Or do you wake up too early?
- Do you feel sluggish in the morning?
- Are you struggling with anxiety or stress?
Sleep and mental health
Sleep is without doubt the most powerful tool we have for our mental health, yet 20% of us don’t get the amount or quality of sleep we need. When looking specifically at perimenopausal women, that number shoots up to 60%! This can be due to a variety of symptoms such as hot flushes at night, or simply the raised cortisol levels brought about by fluctuating hormones. Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, struggling to get to sleep, waking during the night or waking too early means that we can feel sluggish in the morning. Without sufficient REM sleep (dreaming), we can’t effectively process the events of the day and so we may wake up feeling stressed and anxious…not a great way to start the day!
Top tips
There are many reasons why you may be experiencing sleep disturbance but there are things that can help.
- Maintain a relaxing nighttime routine, going to sleep and waking at the same time
- Limit screen time at least an hour before bed
- Limit caffeine intake throughout the day
- Get some expert advice on supplements
- Write down a few good things about your day to help you feel more positive
- Listen to a hypnosis audio, or guided relaxation, to help you drift into REM sleep
Why’s it so important
Aside from the obvious physical benefits of sleep, when we wake fully rested, we naturally have more control and are more likely to operate from the intellectual part of our brain, the pre-frontal cortex. This is because, during our REM period of sleep, we’ll have processed the events of the previous day, moving our memories into the intellectual part of the brain so that they change from being emotional memories to narrative memories, these are memories that we have control over. The benefit of this is that it enables us to put anything that may have upset us into perspective so that we wake up calmer and happier.
When using this intellectual part of the brain, we generally get things in life right because it will always come up with answers based on a proper assessment of the situation, and it generally has a very positive outlook. Unfortunately, if we don’t have enough good quality sleep then we get stuck in the primitive part of the brain which is responsible for our fight, flight and freeze response. All this part of the brain wants to do is keep us safe and therefore it will always look at things from the worst possible perspective, encouraging us to feel anxious and making it very difficult for us to take positive action. By improving our quality of sleep we’ll be able to wake up with less stress, anxiety or anger and start the day more positively, giving us greater capacity to deal with whatever life throws at us.
Don’t make it a chore
Taking control of our sleep isn’t easy. Especially if you’re busy during the day and nighttime is the only time you have for yourself. It can be tempting to watch one more episode of that series on Netflix or just have a quick scroll through your phone. But if your mental health is struggling; if you’re feeling anxious, stressed and overwhelmed; then a good night’s sleep is one of THE best things you can do for yourself.
If it feels like a chore and you feel hard done by going to sleep earlier, then try to think of ways you can make it seem more appealing. Perhaps spend some time reading that book or listening to that podcast that you never seem to have time to. Maybe a nice warm bath before bed, or perhaps treat yourself to some new bedding that makes an early night seem luxurious. A heated eye mask can help relax or for the braver among you, maybe try lying on an acupressure mat. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! It may take a little while to get used to it, but I now find it one of the best ways to relax.
Remember why
Always keep in mind that you’re doing this for YOU. But don’t lose sight of the ripple effect. Whilst you are going to benefit from having better quality sleep, all those around you will also benefit as you’ll be happier, more energetic and calmer.
How can solution-focused hypnotherapy help?
When I start working with clients, I provide them with an audio for them to listen to each night when it’s time to go to sleep. With some background music, the audio is a great way to help clients relax and is full of wonderful, positive suggestions to help them feel calmer and more confident over time. Even if clients haven’t come to be because of sleep problems, nearly all of them tell me that their quality of sleep has vastly improved.
If you’d like to learn how solution-focused hypnotherapy could help you get a better night’s sleep, enabling you to wake feeling calmer, happier and more in control then please book a free-of-charge initial consultation.