Better Sleep

Poor sleep is a problem for nearly everyone I work with and was for me when I worked as a manager in aviation. Unfortunately, lost sleep saps our energy stores and affects our mental and physical health. A lack of sleep also affects our mood and impacts our immune system. It's all bad news to those affected, I know.

That said, In my experience and as a therapist, although getting better sleep is not easy to achieve (as anyone knows who has tried), with the right techniques and a targeted routine, it is possible to turn things around. When I work with people I first assess their sleep (and breathing) pattern and then draw from three approaches for sleep improvement:

• Short, simple breathing exercises to do in the evening and/or before putting the light out that serve also during the night for getting back to sleep if they wake and can't
• Sleep-focused (hypnotherapy) recordings with sleep-inducing music in the background. based on a relaxation technique I coach called Open Focus. I have been told by some that my voice alone helps them to fall sleep! 
• Having trained in the subject as a psychotherapist, I sometimes refer to techniques from a form of therapy called CBTi - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia. CBTi focuses on how we manage our bedtime routine and how we can change things to improve our sleep quality.

I find that one single change rarely works long-term, but that a combination of several different approaches can make all the difference.