Lack of sleep is killing me

Mark,

I have always had a problem with going to sleep but lately it has gotten so much worse. I lie there for hours and hours staring at the ceiling and I just can't fall asleep. Then I get really worried knowing how tired I will be the next day. I'm really anxious about a project at work right now which is why I can't relax at night. What can I do? I've tried sleeping pills in the past when I had bad insomnia a few years ago but they make me feel terrible, even worse than not sleeping. I want to fall asleep naturally but I can't. Can you hypnotise me to fall asleep?

This question was submitted by 'Tired'

Mark says...

Hello,

Not sleeping, 'running on empty' has the exhausting knock on effect of making work and home life feel overwhelming. When we're running a chronic sleep debt simple daily tasks can feel insurmountable, we feel much more emotionally fragile and our immune system is compromised because of increased stress hormone (cortisol) which our bodies produce in order to keep us going even when we are sleep starved. Sleep deprivation also makes concentration and focus much harder.

Worry is a form of stress in itself. It sounds like the sleeping got worse for you recently. I wonder if anything has changed? Have you been worrying about anything in particular or any unresolved problem that has arisen? Or maybe it's worrying about the sleep itself that has been spoiling your sleep. Worry is as much a stimulant as coffee, sometimes more so. We use hypnosis to offset some of the damaging effects of sleep deprivation. So when you relax deeply even if you don't go to sleep then stress hormone levels decrease and your immune system works better again, your mind feels clearer and calmer and you have more energy.

Hypnosis isn't sleep but it can encourage sleep onset through a combination of helping you not worry about whether you sleep or not and creating the right state of mind body to encourage deep refreshing sleep. I suggest you use our download 'Fall Asleep Fast' (or maybe the pack?)

I'm sure your sleep will greatly improve as a result.

All my best,
Mark