Effective therapy for sleep related issues (insomnia) in Peterborough and the surrounding areas

Do any of these statements describe how you feel?

·       "I just can't get to sleep at night, no matter what I try"

·       "I get to sleep, but I wake up later and then spend ages trying to get back to sleep"

·       "Even thinking about not sleeping tonight makes me anxious"

·       "I go to bed and then just lie there worrying about things"

·       "I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep"

·       "I wake up feeling more tired than when I went to bed”

Hypnotherapy, NLP and Solution Focussed Therapy can be useful in helping you to learn new ways of dealing with insomnia and for changing any unhelpful habits you may have developed around not sleeping. For more useful information about insomnia and dealing with sleep issues including 10 tips for improving your sleep habits, please read on...

To book a FREE! initial no obligations call, or a full confidential session with me, go to the Contact Me page

·         What is insomnia and what causes it?

·         How long can it last?

·         What treatments are there for insomnia that don't involve drugs?

·         10 tips for improving your sleep habits

Insomnia is difficulty in falling or staying asleep, the absence of restful sleep, or poor quality of sleep [www.MedicineNet.com]. It is NOT a disease, it is a symptom and the most common causes are:-

·         Side effects of certain medications that you may be taking, including certain decongestants, diuretics, antidepressants, appetite supressants, amphetamines

·         The impact of other issues that you may be experiencing such as depression, anxiety, stress or even pain

·         The impact of your basic needs not being met properly

·         A result of a temporary change in your circumstances, such as travel, jet lag or altitude changes

·         Sleeping excessively during the day (excessive napping)

·         In some people, excessive stimulation of the mind / body before bed by watching TV, surfing the web or exercising can interrupt the progressive onset of sleep

·         A response to excessive consumption or withdrawal of substances like alcohol, caffeine, antihistamines, amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana and other addictive drugs

·         A more serious medical condition, such as sleep apnea

·         Unhealthy sleep habits built up over a period of time. If you have experienced sleep issues for an extended period of time, you may have also developed a habit associated with not sleeping at certain times or in particular places, even if the original issue has now resolved itself

In many cases the symptoms might well be a short term experience which resolves itself once your situation changes (such as getting over Jet Lag, a heat wave subsiding etc.) or the stressful event in your life is resolved.

In other cases, especially when your insomnia is due to ongoing stressful events, medication side effects, medication withdrawal side effects or other medical conditions it might last for a longer period (weeks rather than days).

In cases where you are experiencing severe depression or heavy substance abuse it may begin to extend into periods of a month or more.

In the case of insomnia lasting for longer than one or two weeks, it is always important to check with your doctor to establish whether there is a more serious cause.

To assist in your own and your doctor or therapist's understanding of your issue, it is useful to keep a sleep log for two weeks to understand any particular habits or patterns specific to your insomnia. This simply means keeping a log of when you went to bed, when you recall falling asleep and if you woke up during the night, when you woke up and when you went back to sleep again. It is also useful to note what was going on both in your mind and body during the times when you struggled to fall asleep - or any other interesting observation.

It is important to ensure that you have put all of the following tips into practice to see if this improves your sleep

1.    Stick to regular sleep times

2.    Ensure your bedroom is comfortable, quiet and at a moderate temperature

3.    Ensure your room is dark enough so that you don't give the mind/body any excuse to want to wake up

4.    Do things that help bring on the onset of sleep such as taking a warm bath or having a warm drink (not alcoholic or sugary)

5.    Postpone going to bed if you are very stressed, and allow yourself to calm down first by relaxing (deep breathing or self hypnosis)

6.    Confine any unnecessary worrying to somewhere other than in bed (write your worries in a worry book while sitting in a worry chair and confine all worrying solely to this place). If you start to worry excessively in bed, get out of bed and write in the book (ensuring you still remain in a dark place to avoid waking the body up too much)

7.    Turn the clock away from you so that you can’t see the time (and ensure you can’t reach the clock), even better, get rid of it! This way you have one less thing to be concerned with

8.    Don't exercise (don’t panic! sex is not counted as exercise here) or eat at least 2-3 hours before bed

9.    Don't take any stimulants before bed (alcohol, caffeine, drugs)

10. Ensure that you stop watching TV or surfing the web at least 45 minutes before retiring to bed. This will ensure that you are not stimulating your mind before going to bed

·         Care for yourself through ongoing nutritious and regular eating habits

·         Check that your basic needs are being met appropriately

In many cases, the assistance of a good therapist can assist in teaching you to learn ways of dealing with insomnia (such as self-hypnosis), handling excessive worrying or anxiety or changing any unhelpful habits that might be leading to the insomnia. 

Please note: Before undertaking any therapy, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor if you are on any medication for chronic pain, anxiety or depression.

To book a FREE! initial no obligations call, or a full confidential session with me, go to the Contact Me page

I normally work from my home office in Wansford, just outside Peterborough in the Cambridgeshire region. I also practice from the Barns at Wansford Surgery.

I am accessible from Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire and places like Peterborough, Cambridge, Oundle, Stamford, Rutland, Wisbech, Oakham, Market Deeping, Huntingdon, March, Bourne, Corby, Whittlesey, Ramsey, Spalding