HYPNOSIS FOR HELP FOR INSOMNIA IN WEST LONDON -                                               HILLINGDON, UXBRIDGE AND EALING

 A good night's sleep is important because it improves memory and concentration and allows the body to repair itself. it also boosts the immune system, helps keep weight down and is essential for well being.

There are three types of insomnia:

 1. Transient: This type can last for days or weeks. It is caused by another disorder - for example - a change in sleeping environment, timing of  sleep, depression and stress. The effects are similar to sleep deprivation.

 2. Acute: Inability to sleep well over a period of 3 weeks to 6 months.

 3. Chronic: This type can last for yerars at a time and is possibly caused by other disorders. Effects canvary according to cause - for example - sleepiness, muscular fatigue, hallucinations, mental fatigue, seeing things in slow motion.

 Britons are getting 25% less sleep than they need, according to a survey produced by shopping channel QVC in   March 2010.(  Reports from Sleep Scotland,  in March 10, also suggest that teenagers are only getting four hours sleep a night ).

  64% said lack of sleep was to blame when they felt irritable, while 56% said they couldn't concentrate, due to lack of sleep.

 87% said that they were tired for most of the week. 17% said they dozed off at work.

Issues related to insomnia include:

 Fatigue, mood swings, irritability, lack of concentration, poor memory, stomach problems, mistakes, accidents. Falling asleep at work and killing yourself or others is a major cause of death in the workplace. It can also induce depression and poor general health, as it inhibits the immune system. Insomniacs have an increased risk of depression, alcoholism and drug abuse.

 Bad sleep is sometimes the cause of accidents. It was thought to be a clue behind the Chernobyl disaster. Tired drivers kill more people than drunk drivers.

 Insomnia can also cause weight gain, research published by Norwich University Hospital, in May 09, showed that tired people were consuming an extra 1000 calories a day. Getting less than six to eight hours sleep a night can increase levels of leptin, the hormone which tells you when you're full, and increase levels of cortisol, the fat storing  hormone . This may result in cravings for sweet carbohydrates that end up getting stored as fat. 37% said, in the QVC survey, that a lack of sleep made them crave sugary fatty foods.

 A survey published by The Cambridge Weight Plan, in April 2010, said that 76% of their participants had difficulty getting to sleep.

 Interruption of deep sleep harms the body's metabolism and the conversion of sugar into energy, heightening the risk of diabetes.

 Onset insomnia: Difficulty initiating sleep - this is often anxiety related.

 Middle of the night/ nocturnal waking : If you can't return to sleep once awakened/ waking too early>

 Middle insomnia: Waking in the middle of the night - difficulty maintaining sleep - often associated with pain/ medical illness.

 Terminal or late insomnia: Early morning awakening, characteristic of clinical depression.

 Some causes: Drugs, caffeine, stimulants, Sleep apnoea, life problems,. fears, stress, anxiety, mental/ physical health disorders.

Try to avoid alcohol or coffee for several hours before sleep. Foods rich in carbohydrates - bananas, etc, will assist sleep.

  The solution

  Sleeping pills may provide a quick response, but they can be addictive, and will not solve the cause of the problem. Hypnotherapy can teach you the skills necessary to get a good nights sleep. Thought Field Terapy can teach you the meridian points to manipulate to create the optimal breathing pattern for sleep. Matthew has been interviewed on BBC radio over his sleep programme. Phone Matthew on 01895 810772.

 Research from Israel's Mental Health Programme, published in May 09, showed how hypnotherapy led to a vast improvement in insomnia amoungst those suffering from  combat  induced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  Exercises to try to help you sleep -

1. When lying in bed, slow down your breathing. Produce a pattern of exhaling for twice as long as your inhalations. Aim to keep the breaths smooth. Once established, do ten such breaths lying om your back, fifteen lying on your side, and twenty lying on your other side. This will provide quality rest, and will help you to drop off to sleep.

2. Slow down your breathing, counting up to 12. If your mind wanders, start again. Once you reach 12, count backwards to zero.

3. Try progressive muscle relaxation - starting from the toes and working up to the top of your head - contracting and releasing the muscles. Keep breathing throughout.

 4. Exercise will help to decrease stress levels, and therefore help sleep.

 The answer may be in minerals.  The mineral Magnesium helps with the production of melatonin, the hormone involved in our waking and sleeping cycles.

 Happy sleeping.