Do you have a Problem Sleeping Deeply?
Sleeping Deeply Problem Checklist:
- You get into bed and can’t switch your brain off, it just wants to overthink.
- You lie there for hours drifting in a light sleep but not sleeping soundly.
- You fall asleep OK, but wake up and stay awake in the middle of the night.
- You wake up at the slightest noise or disturbance and can’t go back off.
- Your brain switches into negative thinking as your head hits the pillow.
If one of these things happen to you more than once a week then you have a sleep problem.
What is deep sleep?
Deep Sleep is fuel for your body, mind and complexion. If you were going on a long journey and your petrol tank was nearly empty, you wouldn’t decide to get on the motorway without filling up first, would you?
So, why is it that many people do this with their bodies and minds, pushing through to keep going, squeezing out every tiny drop of energy and then wonder why they break down, run out of power and look drained!
When we go to sleep at night, we go into a system of REM (Rapid Eye Movement). When the brain is in REM mode, there are some amazing things happening in the background of our awareness.
We are at very deep levels, processing the stress of our day, repairing, replenishing and healing all aspects of our body, mind and organs.
The REM mode is also known as trance, and that is why Hypnotherapists put their clients into this trance state to make the most of this hugely beneficial brain-boosting state.
Hypnos means ‘Sleep’ in Greek, so any form of hypnotherapy will always improve the sleep system, as this is what the therapy relies on to be effective!
When you have an efficient sleep system, you will wake up feeling totally refreshed and ready to start the day with a clean slate, feeling and looking brighter and energised.
Why is deep sleep important?
When you are drifting off to sleep and the the brain enters into REM, it is accessing a powerful state of mind, also known as trance. The trance state also processes stress, so if the brain has not been able to effectively processed the stress of the day, we will not be waking up feeling refreshed at all.
The stress builds up in the system and impacts our daily lives and thought patterns and means that we begin under performing in lots of areas.
Many people don’t realise the importance of getting high quality sleep. The effects of poor sleep become a bad habit that we get used to and view as ’normal’.
We should all be able to fall asleep within minutes of our head hitting the pillow, and not waking up until we have gone through all the stages of the sleep cycle, waking up refreshed, revitalised and raring to go.
(If this is not happening, then there is something can do about it – keep reading!)
Think of sleep like you are charging up your phone at night ready for intensive heavy usage in the day time. If the phone doesn’t charge up, and you try and use it as normal, it will run out battery power before you’ve even had your lunch!
What are the consequences of not sleeping deeply?
The consequences of a poor night’s sleep and not getting enough depth within your sleep system on a daily basis are higher stress levels, bad skin, poor decision making, difficulty concentrating and irrational behaviour.
Sleep deprivation can also have seriously negative long term health consequences because insomnia has a detrimental impact on our immune system. Research suggests that sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, increased risk of stroke, diabetes and depression.
Our skin is the largest organ of the body and while we sleep, the white blood cells in the skin tissue rebuild and regenerate during the REM stage of sleep, so if we have interrupted sleep, this process of rejuvenation, tissue repair and fluid drainage is not as effective and we can look completely washed out with dark circles and bags under our eyes.
How does learning to relax help us sleep better?
When my clients take my Sleep Deeply audio to bed with them, they always get a better night’s sleep.
In my experience as a Sleep Expert and Hypnotherapist, the main cause of sleeplessness is some form of stress and anxiety in the subconscious system.
Worrying causes us to over-think, and this form of hyper-activity in our brain releases stress chemistry (adrenaline and cortisol) into our system, which causes the brain to be over stimulated at night.
When the body is stressed, the fight/flight/freeze reaction is switched on keeping us wide awake as the signalling to shut down and switch off is weakened.
The opposite of stress and worry is relaxation, this is why I teach deep relaxation techniques as a skill for my clients to practice while they fall asleep.
I insist all my clients use my specially created Sleep Deeply track when they go to bed at night. The track contains binaural beats, which help the brain switch off and the positive sleeping suggestions within the track gives your mind a sleepy massage.
The Sleep Deeply track will help train your brain to develop an efficient sleeping habit. Binaural Beats are subtle frequencies set to the deep sleep frequency of 10Hz.
When we are in a deep state of sleep, our brainwaves are set to the delta frequency. Binaural beats help train the brain to attune to delta waves so that we can fall asleep and stay asleep easier.
Once a person is skilled at internally relaxing, they usually find that their sleep dramatically improves.
Other factors which could cause sleep disturbances are hunger, a change in circumstances or environment, temperature changes, hormonal imbalances, and simple over tiredness.
5 Top Tips for a Good Nights Sleep
- Explore relaxation techniques that work for you to help control any overthinking. For example, relaxation practices such as massage, hypnosis, mindfulness, meditation or yoga.
- Avoid stimulating exercise or activity too late into the evening.
- If you happen to wake up during the night, do not switch a TV or screen on. Reading is a better way of nodding back off again.
- Begin exploring night time sleeping rituals so your brain knows it’s time and gets into a habit to switch into sleep mode.
- Listen to a good quality hypnosis track, like my Sleep Deeply track as you fall asleep. The binaural beats and positive sleeping suggestions will help train your brain to develop an efficient sleeping habit.