Self-hypnosis for sleep
Some nights your body is tired, but your mind keeps going. Tomorrow's meeting, a conversation that went wrong, a list that won't stop growing. Self-hypnosis gives your attention somewhere calmer to go, so sleep has a better chance to follow.
Can self-hypnosis help you sleep?
It may help you wind down, and many people use it as a calm way to end the day. Research is promising but still early: more than half of the studies in a 2018 review found a benefit for sleep, but many were small. For long-term insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) is still the recommended first step.
How a sleep session works
Tell us about your evening.
What's keeping you up, in your own words. Racing thoughts, a busy week, a body that won't settle.
Choose a length and a pace.
Before bed, most people pick Deep or Immersive and a slow pace.
Listen before lights out.
Get comfortable, close your eyes and let the session do its work. At the end, it gently brings you back, calm and settled, so you can turn off the light and go to sleep.
What research says
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Hypnosis and sleep across 24 studies
58% of 24 studies found better sleep after hypnosis. Positive studies usually involved three to four sessions.
Keep in mind Mostly small studies; only a third included people with sleep problems.
- Who took part
- 24 studies with 1,330 adults, some with sleep problems, others with conditions that often disturb sleep.
- What they found
- 58% of the studies reported better sleep after hypnosis, 13% had mixed results, and 29% found no benefit. Studies that found a benefit usually involved three to four sessions, and some used audio recordings only.
- Keep in mind
- Many studies were small, and only a third included people who had trouble sleeping to begin with.
Read the paper: Hypnosis and sleep across 24 studies (opens in a new tab)
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Deeper sleep after a hypnosis recording
About 80% more deep sleep after a 13-minute hypnosis recording, in women who responded well to hypnosis.
Keep in mind A nap in a sleep lab, and only in people who respond well.
- Who took part
- Young, healthy women at the Universities of Zurich and Fribourg, during an afternoon nap.
- What they found
- Women who responded well to hypnosis had about 80% more deep sleep after listening to a 13-minute hypnosis recording than after a neutral text.
- Keep in mind
- The effect only appeared in people who responded well to hypnosis, and it was a nap in a sleep lab, not a full night at home.
Read the paper: Deeper sleep after a hypnosis recording (opens in a new tab)
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Hypnosis for trouble falling asleep
Hypnosis shortened the time to fall asleep compared with being on a waitlist.
Keep in mind Did not clearly beat a placebo-style comparison. Most studies were low quality.
- Who took part
- 13 trials with 502 participants. Six tested hypnosis, seven tested related methods such as autogenic training and guided imagery.
- What they found
- Hypnosis shortened the time it took to fall asleep compared with being on a waitlist.
- Keep in mind
- It did not clearly beat a placebo-style comparison, and most studies were of low quality. For long-term insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) is the recommended first step.
Read the paper: Hypnosis for trouble falling asleep (opens in a new tab)
More studies, including their limits, are on our science page.
Getting the most out of it
- Make it the last thing you do. Listen in bed or somewhere quiet right before you sleep, once the day's tasks are done.
- Give it a few nights. In the studies that found a benefit, people usually had several sessions, not just one.
- Keep it simple. Comfortable headphones or a speaker at low volume, phone on do not disturb, screen face down.
- Go straight to bed afterwards. Skip the phone after the session and let the calm carry you into the night.
- Use the same session again. Your sessions stay in your library. Many people find a familiar session easier to sink into.
When to talk to a doctor
Self-hypnosis is a way to relax, not a treatment for sleep disorders. Please talk to a doctor if:
- you've had trouble sleeping on most nights for several weeks or longer
- someone has noticed loud snoring or pauses in your breathing at night
- you're so tired during the day that it affects work, driving or your mood
If you take sleep medication, don't change or stop it without talking to your doctor first.
Questions
Some people do, especially with a longer session. Every HypTide session ends by gently bringing you back, so if you've already dozed off, you might notice the ending. If you do, just stay in the calm it leaves and let sleep come.
People respond differently. Some studies found the clearest effects in people who respond well, but a light, relaxed state can still help you unwind. The only way to know is to try a few evenings.
Yes. Many people make it part of their evening routine.
Deep or Immersive give you more time to settle. Quick fits better for a short break during the day.
Not quite. Many sleep recordings are the same for everyone and fade out as you fall asleep. A HypTide session is written around what you tell us, and it ends by bringing you back gently. That way you can also use it during the day, for example to work on a sleep-related topic without falling asleep.
Ready for a calmer evening?
Describe what's keeping you up and listen to a session made for tonight.
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