Chronic insomnia is difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or a non-restorative sleep, for one month or longer. Symptoms of insomnia are:
- daytime fatigue
- irritability and frustration
- impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning
What causes Insomnia?
Insomnia is caused by anxiety and stress. A person suffering from insomnia may have anxiety due to current stressful circumstances in his or her life, such as:
- financial difficulties
- a pending retrenchment
- fear of losing a job
- fear of being a victim of crime
- fear of losing a loved one, etc.
Such circumstances have to do with survival and when one’s survival is threatened, it creates anxiety.
This anxiety may trigger the memory of similar earlier experiences in life when one’s survival was at stake and anxiety was experienced which is deeply embedded in the subconscious mind. The most significant of these earlier experiences are during the time in the womb. Certain life threatening circumstances can keep the baby in a state of anxiety, too scared to relax and sleep peacefully. Keeping awake most of the time gives a feeling of being in control. Examples:
- A mother considering or attempting abortion.
- A history of previous miscarriages or the death of a baby and the mother fearing the same might happen with a subsequent pregnancy.
- A baby who is to be given up for adoption, fearing the unknown.
- Physical abuse during pregnancy.
- A baby being unwanted, fearing rejection.
The subconscious mind, which is an illogical part of the mind, perceives situations that are similar as the same and responds as if it is the same. Such similarity between being in utero and being in bed at night is perceived by the subconscious, because in both situations it is dark, warm and quiet. Going to bed at night may trigger the memory of anxiety experienced in utero. This causes a fear to switch off and sleep because falling asleep is perceived as not being in control, resulting in insomnia.
How does hypnotherapy treatment for insomnia work?
Effective treatment of insomnia cannot be done by just giving direct suggestions for sound sleep to the subconscious in a hypnosis session. In hypnotherapy the causes of insomnia need to be identified and treated. Once the root cause has been identified, negative thought patterns that are lodged deep in the subconscious mind can be substituted with positive ones which leads to restoration of the chemical balance in the brain.
At Eureka Centre we offer treatment for various sleep disorders:
- insomnia symptoms
- chronic insomnia
- insomnia in children
- insomnia in pregnancy
- insomnia in menopause
- stress insomnia
- anxiety insomnia
- insomnia and depression
- familial insomnia
- narcolepsy
- nightmare disorder
- sleep terror disorder
- sleepwalking disorder
Are you suffering with insomnia? Make an appointment today and say goodnight to insomnia.