A recent study from California suggests that people who sleep six hours a night or less are more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus. This ties in with a UK study last year which warned that less sleep is leading to health problems and people need to take the problem seriously. 
Diseases like cancer, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, infections and obesity have all been linked to reduced sleep and scientists say the trend towards a 24-hour society means many people are living against their body clocks with damaging consequences.
One sure way to improve length and quality of sleep is through hypnotherapy. The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) boasts a directory of around 1800 highly trained and qualified therapists across the UK. These professionals can help their clients achieve a decent sleep pattern and, consequently, a better lifestyle.
The NCH says that insomniacs generally respond very well to hypnosis. An NCH hypnotherapist would create a programme of personalised treatment that identifies the client’s sleeping patterns and then teaches them self-management techniques. These will make a difference to how the client sleeps and also the quality of sleep they will have.
Research, the NCH adds, shows that hypnosis combined with cognitive behavioural therapy is the most effective treatment for insomnia or disrupted sleep.
The Californian study, reported in the journal Sleep, worked on findings from 164 healthy volunteers who asked to wear a wrist sensor that tracked their normal sleep habits.
They were then given nasal drops containing rhinovirus and quarantined in a hotel for five days under close observation to see how many got a cold. The findings support the theory that poor sleep blunts immunity.
The results suggest that people who get little sleep each night are more likely to catch a cold than those who clock up more than seven hours a night.
The U.S. website about.com, states that, because of its ability to increase responsiveness, hypnosis is frequently used to alter behaviours and reactions that could be contributing to chronic health problems (such as insomnia and other sleep disorders).
It says: “Although hypnosis is often induced by a hypnotherapist, self-hypnosis techniques are commonly used in treatment of insomnia. Some research suggests that self-hypnosis may improve sleep by redirecting patients’ attention away from anxiety, producing thoughts that promote relaxation.”
The NCH says that, after sessions with a hypnotherapist, a person may feel more confident; more relaxed in situations that have previously been challenging. The person is usually calmer with more clarity of thought – able to make decisions more easily. Those who have experienced side effects of anxiety such as insomnia, find that they are sleeping much better and as a result are able to work more effectively.
Finding an NCH hypnotherapist is easy. Just use the directory by clicking here, enter your postcode and locate a therapist near you.