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Insomnia
You Don’t Have To Loose Sleep Over Insomnia
There are three main types of insomnia:
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Initial insomnia is when patients have trouble falling asleep. Anxiety contributes to this
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Middle insomnia is when the patient awakens 2-3 hours after falling asleep. It is often associated with anxiety.
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Terminal insomnia is when the patient awakens early in the morning and is often associated with anxiety and depression.
Insomnia is the most common symptom of depression and anxiety.
Hypnosis is strictly a tool that may help with insomnia. If the patient has overwhelming generalized anxiety or depression, then that issue must be taken care of prior to simply learning medical hypnosis. Often, by taking care of the generalized anxiety or depression, the insomnia improves on its own.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that has been demonstrated to be effective in patients with depression and anxiety. Medical hypnosis can be incorporated into and used as part of this form of therapy.
Everyone has his/her list of worries, but the difference is the ability to compartmentalize. The good sleeper can set the problems aside and pick them up the next morning, and the bad sleeper ruminates. Rumination is when patients spin around their problems, over and over again, continuously analyzing and trying to solve them. These are real issues that need to be addressed, and deserve to be. Bedtime is not the time to do this.
The bedroom is for SLEEP! It is not for eating, reading, or television. Patients with insomnia need to create a bedtime routine that is quiet and calm. With hypnosis, they can use visualization to prepare for sleep.
Lastly, here’s more information on Medication vs. Behavioral Therapy for insomnia: *
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Medication showed faster short-term results.
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Hypnosis and relaxation training were comparable at 4-8 weeks.
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And, 6-24 months later hypnosis and relaxation were more effective than drugs.
Source: Morin, Culbert, et al. Am J of Psychiatry, (1994), 151, 1172-1180.
To contact Dr. Lazarus, you may phone him at: 650-322-5333. Or, email him a brief form.
