Quieting the hamsters in your mind - Sleep tips for children and adults

When I was a kid, I had a very hard time falling asleep at night. I'd toss, turn, count sheep, look at my clock, panic, start to cry, and then wake my mom up to share my misery with her. She would calmly get up, go into the kitchen, and make a cup of special tea called Sleepytime Tea that seemed to have a magical effect on me. I'd be asleep very soon after returning to bed. 

I work with sleep issues in both adults and children fairly frequently in my practice. In addition to the hypnosis work we do, the following are a few tips that I share with my clients that can be helpful in creating the best environment for successful sleep:

• Stop the "hamsters running on wheels" in your mind. This is what I call it when your mind just jumps from one thought to another to another. Maybe you're worried about something, maybe you're replaying an event or conversation from your day, or maybe your mind is obsessing over something else. Keep a notepad and pen by your bed and when the hamsters start running, write down whatever thought or idea or worry is popping into your mind. Then assign a time the next day to address that thought. You may have several or just one. It doesn't matter how big or insignificant, just write it down and assign a time to think about it the next day. This exercise assures your subconscious that you are acknowledging the thought and will give it the proper attention at a more appropriate time. That way your subconscious can "let go" and help you relax into sleep. The next day look at your list and, if necessary, do what you need to do to address those issues. Sometimes that which seems so worrisome at 2:00 AM is totally insignificant in the light of day.
• Practice relaxation techniques before bedtime. Take some time to unwind and release the stress and anxiety from the day. I give my clients a free relaxation CD that I recorded with instructions to get into the habit of listening to it every day until they are able to relax on their own. I am happy to email an MP3 version of the recording, so if you'd like one please contact me at marti@harmonythroughhypnosis.com
• Limit the amount of negative information you encounter right before bedtime whether it be the news, television programs, newspapers, magazines, or internet. Too much negativity right before you go to sleep will really keep those hamsters running.
• Keep your bedroom a place for sleep and bedroom-related activities. You want your mind to associate your bed and bedroom as a place of rest and sleep. Bills, work, studying, TV, computer time, etc., should be done in another room. If that's not possible, then at least do them away from the bed.
• Keep the clock out of sight. Some people, especially children, can get even more stressed out as they watch the hours pass by still wide awake. "Now I'm only getting four hours of sleep! Oh no, now I'm down to three and a half hours of sleep!"

Tips specifically for children:

• If your child is worried about being too tired to perform well the next day, reassure your child that as long as he or she is lying still in their beds with their eyes closed their bodies are still resting and it's the next best thing to actually sleeping. This removes some worry about being too tired to function the next day, and it gets them back to bed.
• If you are concerned about your child's performance the next day due to lack of sleep, keep it to yourself. If your child is already worried about not sleeping, adding your concerns on top of theirs only compounds the problem.
• Placebos work very well with children. My mom didn't even know about the placebo effect yet she demonstrated it every time she'd make the Sleepytime Tea. Certainly the tea itself had herbs that were calming, but the fact that she presented it as "just as good as taking a sleeping pill" was all I needed to fall asleep quickly after drinking it. I recommend trying this yourself, either with a similar type tea (make sure there's no caffeine in it) or warm milk, which is also known to help induce sleep.

 Additional reminders:

• Caffeine and other stimulants can have an affect on our sleep. Consider cutting them out earlier in the day.
• Avoid eating heavy meals close to bedtime. Sometimes the act of digestion can keep you awake.
• Regular exercise can help deepen sleep. If you work out right before going to bed and find you have problems falling asleep, experiment with working out earlier in the day.
• Some people feel that alcohol helps them fall asleep. Alcohol does have a sleep-inducing effect, but it's not usually a good sleep, and too much can cause a wake-up effect after a few hours.

I’m back from hiatus with a baby boy to show for it!

Wow I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last post!

I’m so excited to be back. Over the past several months I’ve had many great ideas of topics to share and projects to do. I was very sick for most of my pregnancy and extremely tired. I had many potential complications along the way. Some days I felt as if I was pushing through this pregnancy white-knuckled by sheer will, but in the end everything was just fine. Baby Scott arrived at the end of March, happy and healthy. He and I are both doing very well and for that I am extremely thankful.

I pursued hypnosis in order to help others work through challenges in their lives. During this pregnancy I found myself relying upon some of those techniques to help myself out along the way. Each of the complications I had during pregnancy could have had harmful effects on my baby. I have also experienced a couple of miscarriages in the past. At one doctor appointment early on, my doctor read through my chart, took note of all the potential complications, and made the off-the-cuff remark of “Wow, you only look like you’re a healthy person.” Here’s a hypnotic hint: Be very careful what you say when someone is highly stressed because messages from someone in authority (such as a doctor) go straight into the subconscious. I was already highly aware of my complications and was working on keeping a light, positive attitude but I tell you after that comment I went out to my car and cried for an hour. Then I remembered a technique I use for some clients in my Hypnosis for Fertility sessions. It involves checking in with an “inner assistant" who resides in the womb and watches over the baby growing there. Although I was distraught with fear, worry, anger, and sadness I took a deep breath, put myself into a state of self-hypnosis, and asked my own inner assistant for a report. The image that came to mind was of a sweet-faced woman about 60 or so, with gray hair pulled back in a bun. My inner assistant grinned at me, nodded her head enthusiastically, and gave me a big thumbs-up. I took another deep breath, and decided to cancel out the negative feelings I got from that doctor appointment. I routinely checked in with my inner assistant until I could feel Scott moving around. The last time I checked in with her, she still nodded enthusiastically, grinning, and gave me the thumbs-up. I also noticed that her hair was coming out of her bun, kind of wild, as if she’d been busy chasing around an active little boy!


Compared to pregnancy my labor, delivery, and recovery were a breeze. I have emerged from the new-mommy stupor that comes from sleepless nights and adjusting to having a newborn and a four-year-old and I am ready to roll! As I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of exciting ideas in the works and many topics to discuss.

Hypnosis for quitting smoking - does it work?

Question I received from a friend of mine out of state:

Q: Marti, I'm thinking about attending one of those "Xxxxxx XxxxxxSeminars," hypnotherapy sessions that are supposed to help with weight loss and smoking cessation. I definitely want to lose weight, and a kinda want to quit smoking. On one hand, I know I should quit smoking for my health...but there's also a part of me that enjoys smoking. Anyways, do you know anything about these seminars, about whether they really work or are just a way for some charlatan to get rich off other people's insecurities?

I have heard of people who have attended these "traveling hypnotism" seminars for smoking and who were successful in quitting. If the seminar includes a group hypnosis session, there will be fortunate attendees who are determined to quit, expect that they will quit due to the seminar, and actually do quit. I also hear that before the hypnosis part of the seminars there is a pitch to purchase additional CDs, DVDs, books, supplements, etc in order to maximize success. There will be a few more attendees who buy the additional material and find success.

But what about those attendees who don't quit? What about those who don't purchase the additional products? Most likely they come away with the belief that hypnosis didn't work for them, hypnosis is bunk, the hypnotist was a charlatan, or that they were scammed. And worst of all, the traveling hypnotist has left town.

The advantage of working with a local hypnotherapist, such as myself, is that I am here for follow up. I don't pitch products. My sessions explain hypnosis, what to expect in the session, and the hypnosis itself lasts over an hour, and covers all sorts of areas of interest to a smoker's subconscious mind. If the client isn't a non-smoker after he or she leaves the single session, we can evaluate the situation and come up with a plan. If someone continues to smoke after the session, it doesn't mean that the hypnosis failed, but that likely there are emotional issues that need to be resolved before the client can be completely rid of the smoking habit.

But what about the money-back guarantee? I cannot emphasize enough...be WARY of any hypnotist offering a money-back guarantee that you'll quit smoking. I know that statement contradicts advice you've probably heard. There was a short period of time recently where everyone who called asked me the "guarantee" question. I probably lost a few clients by saying that I do not offer a money back guarantee. I further explained that I cannot control human behavior. As I've said before, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. That means I guide YOU into making the changes you want to make, but YOU have to be willing to commit to the process. Hypnosis isn't something you try...if you "try" hypnosis knowing that you'll get your money back if it doesn't work, are you really committing to the process, or are you leaving room for failure? Hypnosis is a powerful tool for making postive changes in your life, but you have to be willing to learn how to use the tool, and be willing to accept the tool, and be willing to continue using the tool after the session is over.

July Group Session for Quitting Smoking

My next Smoking Cessation Group Session will be held Saturday, July 25, 2009 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the conference room of my building. The address is:

14960 Woodcarver Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Cost is $100 per person.

We'll spend the first 30 minutes talking about hypnosis and answering common questions about using hypnosis for smoking cessation. The hypnosis portion lasts about an hour to 1 hr 15 minutes. Dress comfortably, and you are welcome to bring a pillow and blanket.

If you can't make it this month, the next group is scheduled for Saturday, August 29 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

Fitness Motivation Seminar this Saturday

Jenny Liebowitz and I are presenting a fun seminar on using hypnosis combined with aromatherapy to gain motivation to exercise. Please let me know by Friday night if you're interested in attending. If no one is interested, we'll postpone to another day/time.

Hope to see you there!

June Group Session for Quitting Smoking

My next Smoking Cessation Group Session will be held Saturday, June 27, 2009 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the conference room of my building. The address is:

14960 Woodcarver Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Cost is $100 per person.

We'll spend the first 30 minutes talking about hypnosis and answering common questions about using hypnosis for smoking cessation. The hypnosis portion lasts about an hour to 1 hr 15 minutes. Dress comfortably, and you are welcome to bring a pillow and blanket.

If you can't make it this month, the next group is scheduled for Saturday, July 25.

Testimonial from a client

"First off I would like to say thank you! I feel like you worked a miracle on me! Since I have been back I haven't wanted to use or do anything pertaining to it. I'm not sure if you are spiritual or anything but I asked God to help me, to send me a sign give me a hand so I could let go of my addiction. He did. Here I am today almost 4 weeks later with a whole new outlook for life! I feel different. I am getting myself back together. I know you must get emails like this all of the time but I would like to you to know that I am so thankful; I feel a burden has been lifted, I feel like I can make the right choices. Again thank you and God bless!"

M. M. 10/20/2008