On Hypnosis for Sleep

The word “hypnosis” is historically derived from the Greek word for sleep (‘hypnos’). It became popular in the 1800s because participating in hypnosis sessions could appear similar to sleeping (e.g., eyes closed, reduced responsiveness to external stimulation, changes in breathing and heartbeat rates). Thanks to the scientific study of hypnosis, and the development of psychological measurements and neuroimaging, we now know that hypnosis is very different from sleep.

Hypnosis is a psychological tool that helps us bring our brains into optimal states for change-making. To learn more about how hypnosis is physiologically unique, read our article about what happens in the brain during hypnosis.

Sleep is a natural, cyclical (recurring) state of relative inactivity associated with alteration in consciousness and reduced responsiveness to sensory information. The amount of physiologically needed sleep differs between people based on age, sex, genetics, and health needs. The National Sleep Foundation recommends anywhere between 7-9 hours for adults and 7-8 for older adults [1]. This does not mean that we should all get 8 hours, but that the typical sleep duration required for healthy physiological and psychological sleep-related benefits lies within those ranges. Unfortunately, it is quite common to experience sleep difficulties; up to 80 % of U.S. adults reported struggling with sleep at least one night per week [2], more than 35% report sleeping less than 7 hours per night on average[ 3], and 40% report feeling sleepy to the point of interference with their daily activities [4].

Can hypnosis help with sleep?

A literature review from 2018 [5] reported that over 58% of the studies they included found that hypnosis benefits sleep outcomes. The authors concluded that hypnosis is a promising treatment for sleep problems. Hypnosis was also deemed a very safe approach, as two studies that monitored both positive and negative outcomes found no adverse events in all 231 participants.

Further research that followed the 2018 review found that hypnosis can significantly improve sleep quality in postmenopausal women [6], reduce sleep difficulties, fatigue, and emotional distress in cancer survivors [7], and increase deep sleep [8]. Hypnosis treatments for sleep have also been demonstrated to reduce symptoms of different parasomnias (sleep disorders characterized by unusual behaviors or perceptions around and during sleep) [9] and improve cognition in older adults [10].

Why is hypnosis a better alternative for sleep?

About 1 in 12 adults take medication to help them sleep [11]. Side effects such as feeling groggy, oversleeping, or concentration difficulties are reported by about 80% of people taking prescription sleep medicine [12]. Over 50% of Americans have taken supplements or other substances to assist with sleep. Although supplements for sleep have become common in recent years, they are often unregulated and can have problematic side effects. For example, a recent study tested 31 over the counter (non-prescription) melatonin supplements and found that actual doses were outside 10% of their listed dosages in more than 70% of products, and 1 in 4 products contained serotonin (a neurotransmitter that impacts mood, cognition, memory, and many other physiological processes) [13].

Hypnosis has been shown to be beneficial for reducing sleep-related symptoms but, perhaps more importantly, did it in a safer manner than psychoactive substances. Although Dr. Spiegel’s team mentioned this in a previous article, we at Reveri are acting on the basis of the statement we made in The American Journal of Medicine [14] about the superiority of hypnosis: “if hypnosis were a drug, it would be standard of care,” and should be used “particularly when it outperforms the current standard of care by safety and efficacy, as in the case of opioids and sedatives.”

Bottom Line

Hypnosis offers an effective way to reduce sleep symptoms; it is safer than sleep medication and has been shown to significantly improve sleep quality, reduce sleep difficulties, fatigue, and insomnia-related emotional distress, and increase deep sleep. Hypnosis is not sleep, but you can indeed sleep on it.

References

  1. Hirshkowitz, M. et al. National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: final report. Sleep Health 1, 233–243 (2015).

  2. Does Melatonin Really Help You Sleep? Consumer Reports https://www.consumerreports.org/vitamins-supplements/does-melatonin-really-help-you-sleep-a1201789174/.

  3. CDC - Data and Statistics - Sleep and Sleep Disorders. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html (2021).

  4. National Sleep Foundation. Sleep in America® Poll 2020. 1–6 http://www.thensf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SIA-2020-Report.pdf (2020).

  5. Chamine, I., Atchley, R. & Oken, B. S. Hypnosis Intervention Effects on Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review. J. Clin. Sleep Med. JCSM Off. Publ. Am. Acad. Sleep Med. 14, 271–283 (2018).

  6. Elkins, G. et al. Hypnosis Intervention for Sleep Disturbance: Determination of Optimal Dose and Method of Delivery for Postmenopausal Women. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Hypn. 69, 323–345 (2021).

  7. Grégoire, C. et al. Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Intervention Combining Self-Care and Self-Hypnosis on Fatigue, Sleep, and Emotional Distress in Posttreatment Cancer Patients: 1-Year Follow-Up. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Hypn. 70, 136–155 (2022).

  8. Cordi, M. J., Rossier, L. & Rasch, B. Hypnotic Suggestions Given Before Nighttime Sleep Extend Slow-Wave Sleep as Compared to a Control Text in Highly Hypnotizable Subjects. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Hypn. 68, 105–129 (2020).

  9. Hauri, P. J., Silber, M. H. & Boeve, B. F. The Treatment of Parasomnias with Hypnosis: a 5-Year Follow-Up Study. J. Clin. Sleep Med. 03, 369–373 (2007).

  10. Cordi, M. J., Hirsiger, S., Mérillat, S. & Rasch, B. Improving sleep and cognition by hypnotic suggestion in the elderly. Neuropsychologia 69, 176–182 (2015).

  11. CDC. Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Took Medication To Help Fall or Stay Asleep Four or More Times in the Past Week, by Sex and Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2017–2018. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6849a5.htm (2019).

  12. Fitzgerald, T. & Vietri, J. Residual Effects of Sleep Medications Are Commonly Reported and Associated with Impaired Patient-Reported Outcomes among Insomnia Patients in the United States. Sleep Disord. 2015, 607148 (2015).

  13. Erland, L. A. E. & Saxena, P. K. Melatonin Natural Health Products and Supplements: Presence of Serotonin and Significant Variability of Melatonin Content. J. Clin. Sleep Med. JCSM Off. Publ. Am. Acad. Sleep Med. 13, 275–281 (2017).

  14. Kittle, J. & Spiegel, D. Hypnosis: The Most Effective Treatment You Have Yet to Prescribe. Am. J. Med. 134, 304–305 (2021).

About the author:

Afik Faerman, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. He completed his doctoral training in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and his clinical training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Afik’s research centers on identifying key neurocognitive mechanisms in clinical change, focusing on hypnosis, pain, and sleep. His research was supported and acknowledged by the American Psychological Association, the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.