What counts as insomnia?
Insomnia means regularly finding it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or get back to sleep after waking too early. Most people have a few bad nights now and then, often during a stressful patch. When poor sleep carries on for three months or more and affects how you feel during the day, it's usually called long-term insomnia.
During the day, insomnia can leave you tired, irritable and struggling to concentrate. Many people also start to dread bedtime. That worry keeps the mind alert, which then makes sleep even harder.
Common causes of poor sleep
Poor sleep usually has more than one cause. Stress and worry are among the most common, especially when your mind starts racing as soon as your head touches the pillow. Other things that can play a part include:
- Irregular sleep times, shift work or long naps during the day can unsettle your body clock.
- Caffeine late in the day, alcohol and heavy meals close to bedtime can all disturb sleep.
- A bedroom that is too noisy, bright or warm makes it harder to drift off and stay asleep.
- Pain, hormonal changes, other health problems and some medicines can affect sleep.
- Low mood and anxiety often go hand in hand with sleep problems.
What does the evidence say helps?
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, known as CBT-I, is the recommended first approach for long-term insomnia. It helps you change the thoughts and habits that keep poor sleep going, such as spending too long lying awake in bed. CBT-I is available through the NHS, including some digital programmes your GP can tell you about. Sleeping tablets are generally only used for short periods.
Research on hypnotherapy for sleep is limited, so it shouldn't be seen as a replacement for CBT-I. However, relaxation can sit comfortably alongside it. Feeling calmer in body and mind can make it easier to stick with good sleep habits.
How hypnotherapy may help you sleep better
Hypnotherapy may help by teaching you to relax deeply and by changing how you feel about going to bed. Sonya Hudson, the clinical hypnotherapist behind Simple Hypnotherapy, begins by asking about your sleep pattern, your routine and what goes through your mind at night. Sessions then focus on the parts that matter most for you.
Quietening a busy mind
With hypnotherapy, you practise letting thoughts drift past without following them. You can also rehearse a calm bedtime routine, so your bed starts to feel linked with rest rather than worry. Some people like to use a recorded relaxation at home between sessions.
Tools for waking in the night
If you wake in the night, it helps to have something to do other than check the clock. EFT tapping or slow breathing can settle your body without switching on screens or lights. Our guide to a simple breathing exercise is a good one to learn.
Reiki for rest
Reiki is a gentle practice done fully clothed on a couch, with hands resting lightly on or just above the body. Many people find it deeply restful. The idea of Reiki as an energy therapy isn't scientifically established, so it's best seen as a way to relax rather than a fix for insomnia.
Simple sleep habits you can try tonight
These habits come from widely recommended sleep advice, and several are also part of CBT-I. Try a few together and give them at least a couple of weeks:
- Get up at the same time every day, including weekends, to steady your body clock.
- Go to bed when you feel sleepy, rather than just because it's a certain time.
- If you're still awake after what feels like 20 minutes, get up and do something calm in dim light until you feel sleepy.
- Cut down on caffeine after lunchtime and keep alcohol low, as it disturbs sleep later in the night.
- Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool, and put your phone out of reach.
- Write down tomorrow's worries or to-do list before bed, so your mind doesn't have to hold on to them.
How long until sleep improves?
Sleep usually improves gradually rather than overnight. As stress eases and your routine settles, nights often become more predictable. Some nights will still be worse than others, and that's normal. Sessions last 60 to 90 minutes at the clinic in Wallsend, and progress is reviewed with you as you go. If stress is behind your sleeplessness, our page on stress may also help.
When to seek medical advice
Speak to your GP if poor sleep has lasted for several weeks or is affecting your daily life. Please also see your GP if you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp during sleep, have restless legs or feel very sleepy during the day, as these can point to conditions that need medical assessment. Your GP can also tell you about CBT-I services. For night terrors, see our guidance on night terrors.
If you need urgent help: call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 (option 2 in England) or contact your GP. Samaritans are available day and night on 116 123.
Questions
Will I fall asleep during hypnotherapy?
Some people drift close to sleep, which is fine. Most stay aware of Sonya's voice in a deeply relaxed state and still take in what is said.
Can you help me come off sleeping tablets?
No. Any decisions about medication must be made with your doctor. Sessions can sit alongside medical advice, but they don't replace it.
Can hypnotherapy help if I wake in the early hours and can't get back to sleep?
Night-time waking is something sessions can focus on, often with techniques you can use in bed. Waking very early can also be linked to low mood, so mention it to your GP if it comes with feeling down.
Is a sleep recording or app enough on its own?
For some people, a relaxation recording is a helpful part of a bedtime routine. If poor sleep has gone on for months, though, it's worth looking at CBT-I as well, because it tackles the habits that keep insomnia going.