Are we in a time of sleep apathy?
Mar 21, 2024
Well, as a hypnotherapist I LOVE to talk about sleep as sleep is the fundamental element to successful and meaningful results, but equally have become more aware of how we suffer from sleep apathy. Sleep is something we don’t take as seriously as we should; it can be quite mis-understood, mis-used and unsettlingly, very undervalued within our health systems. We simply don’t take heed of the negative and detrimental impact that poor sleep has on the mind and body. We are apathetic to our sleep.
Sleep is deeply complex and holds a lot of intrigue and mystery within its workings. We know that sleep has a specific effect on each and every part of our body. So why don’t we use it or even respect it as we should? As humans we have been fascinated by sleep for many thousands of years and over this time, seem to all have come to the same conclusion: we need sleep as much as we need the air to breath. People die without sleep; it’s that important. So how do we get this sleep business to work in the best way for us? Well, how long have you got?
Our brains work harder than when we are awake thereby making our awake time much more manageable. We need sleep and dreams and all that sleep entails to clean up all the short-term memory information that our brain has stored from the day’s activities. We need sleep to rest in a deeply physical and meaningful way. All the scientific data on sleep shows that without enough sleep, we are pretty much useless; the thought processes are slow, our responses are slow, and this can be obviously dangerous at times. We do not know how sleep deprived we are when we are sleep deprived – which is scary, considering the effects sleep deprivation can have. Both dementia and cancer are related to sleep deprivation. Also, our learning processes are pretty poor when we don’t sleep. To give sleep deprivation context – anything less than 7 hours of sleep means you’re deprived. We are apathetic to the significance of its value.
So! How does hypnotherapy help? This is why I love hypnotherapy so much! It is one of the best therapies in improving sleep. Hypnosis replicates a kind of REM effect of sleep. We enter theta brain waves for hypnosis which are the same brain waves that kick in when dreaming. Our brains are also washed with chemicals and processes when we are sleeping –20 minutes of hypnosis does something similar to this. Hypnosis, also like sleep, works on so many other aspects of our selves, both physical and non-physical. It’s like a special kind of sleep in itself, helping to answer secret or long held issues that we may not even be consciously aware of, while sorting so much out so the brain can function in the way it is supposed to. Meditation is very similar in how it helps to calm the mind and the act as a brain washing medicine of sorts. Washing away the stresses and allowing us to become more present, therefore less fear based.
So, what I am trying to say here is take sleep more seriously; turn the television off and give your brain a break. Put your screen down and give your brain a break. These things will be the start of a pattern of good and healthy brain behaviours. Easier said than done! But definitely not out of the range of doable.
