End the Nightmare of Insomnia

Are your eyes bleary as you read this? Did you just stifle a yawn?  If so, you’re not alone, because over 30 million adults and over two million children suffer from insomnia every year.

Insomnia is defined as “a prolonged and abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep” and comes in many different forms. From not being able to fall asleep, to not being able to stay asleep. Then there’s transient insomnia, which is occasional and lasts from one night to a week, short-term which can span up to a month or chronic which can last for a month or more.

No matter what form it takes, it wreaks havoc in our lives. Havoc in our families, our bank accounts, at work and on the road.

I had one poor woman come in who hadn’t slept for more than a few hours a night in over five years!  She lost her job, was unable to drive and felt like she was looking at life through a thick haze and could no longer make sense of even the simplest conversations.  Thankfully, that siege on sleep has ended for her and she’s back to enjoying a productive life.  If you have insomnia, you know how challenging it can be. It can affect all aspects of life and can be a living nightmare.

Thankfully, there is help.  Our bodies have been designed to get the sleep we need for health. Even though you may not remember it, there was a time in your past, before the “disturbance” came in, when you slept as your body was designed to sleep. That “disturbance” grew in your system over time. Just like the maple seeds that land in the yard in the spring, before you know it, it’s a little sapling. If you pull the sapling early, it comes out easily – if not you really have to put some muscle into it and if you let it go any longer you may not be able to pull it out without help. The seeds of our sleep disturbances are the same. They start very small.   For example, one client’s “seed” got planted as a result of her parent’s tendency to fight after the kids went to bed. Meanwhile the kids are upstairs, all alone, hearing every word and more importantly feeling the energy of conflict and thinking, “I’d better stay awake in case anything bad happens.”  That seed grew over time and continued to disturb her sleep long after she was grown, out of the house, and married with kids of her own.

The birth of a child is another perfect example of a seed of disturbance. A harried and short-tempered mom came in saying that she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since her first child was born, and her oldest was in her early teens!  The seed in that case was “I’d better keep an ear open for any sounds from the baby, because if I sleep deeply I might not hear if something happens or if she needs me.”  And it grows from there. One gentleman’s seed was a past affair that he’d been “losing sleep over” for years.  His lack of sleep was his subconscious mind’s way of punishing him for that misjudgment.  For children, it’s very often being exposed to age inappropriate scary movies, a nightmare or the fear of being alone. The seeds of sleep issues are always very interesting, and rarely what we consciously think is the cause of the problem.

So, how do we find the seed in order to pull it out? That’s the magic of hypnosis.  Hypnosis is a conversation with the subconscious mind and because the subconscious mind holds our long-term memory it can easily find the time before the sleep disturbance came in and remind the body of it’s natural ability to sleep.  It can also fast forward from that time to the moment that the seed of disturbance came in and can literally clear the seed, releasing the disturbance and returning the body to it’s natural, healthy sleep patterns.  It’s like going back in time and picking up that maple seed so the sapling can never grow and become an unwanted weed in the garden of your mind.  I know you’re probably thinking – that sounds too easy.  It is easy.  Most people can work through their sleep issues in less than a handful of sessions.  No expensive sleep studies or risk of getting addicted to or experiencing the many side effects of long-term prescription medications.

If your insomnia is caused by something like sleep apnea, you may need to release some weight or require medical intervention to resolve your issue, but most sleep disturbances can be cleared with the help of the subconscious mind. So if you’re struggling, why not end your nightmare of insomnia now. A good night’s sleep is the best gift you can give yourself and your family.

“Not only am I sleeping – but I’m dreaming of all the things I’m going to do now that I’m not a walking zombie. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t experienced if for myself.” Mary from Waterbury

“I want you to know that Madeleine is doing terrific!  Not too long ago we were talking about you and she said, ‘You know Mom, I have no more fears!  Lisa really helped me’.”  Madeline’s Mom Melissa

Lisa Zaccheo, BCH, BCT is the owner and senior hypnotist at Mind Matters Hypnosis Center in Canton, CT. She is a Board Certified Hypnotist and Trainer and has additional certifications in Complimentary Medical, Clinical, Child & Adolescent, Forensic and Regression hypnosis. For more information, or to schedule a lecture, workshop or appointment, call Mind Matters Hypnosis Center at (860) 693-6448 or visit MindMattersHypnosis.com.