Reiki, Tao Hands & Hypnosis for Sleep

While everyone is different, some common symptoms of insomnia include:

• Fear of not being able to get to sleep
• Difficulty getting back to sleep after waking in the middle of the night
• Ruminating and/or racing thoughts
• Overactive mind thinking of your “to do” list
• Body feeling alert and awake
• Waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep

There are many reasons for insomnia—it may be the primary problem or it may be related to other issues. The Mayo Clinic includes an in-depth overview of the causes of insomnia. Possible reasons include :

• Stress or anxiety
• Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine
• Eating too late in the evening
• Poor sleep habits
• Too much screen time, especially late at night
• Medications
• High cortisol levels
• Restless leg syndrome
• Sleep apnea
• Chronic pain
• Specific medical conditions

Hypnotherapy is an easy way to pay attention to your own internal resources using a state of focused awareness. Anyone who enjoys watching tv, used a bedtime story to help a child get to sleep, or experienced the zone state during running, has experienced a trance state similar to the techniques used in Hypnosis. (I use the terms Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, and trance interchangeably.)

Hypnosis can be a powerful tool for stress relief, helping the mind to quiet. It can help you cultivate peaceful inner awareness so you can relax more easily and get to sleep.

You can find out more about the different issues Hypnosis can address, how to maximize its benefits, as well as misconceptions about Hypnosis.

What Should I Expect

Hypnosis for sleep sessions are personalized for each person’s specific needs. Five clients could have the same issue, such as insomnia or sleep issues, and each person will have different ways they experience the problem.

I’ll show you Self-Hypnosis techniques tailored to your individual needs, so you can get to sleep and get back to sleep more easily. Many clients like to take the Self-Hypnosis tools and create their own Sleep Hypnosis for Insomnia Protocol (more on this below) to help them get to sleep. There are so many ways you can do this.

How Many Sessions Does It Take

While everyone changes differently, 4-6 sessions are average. As with any healing work, acute issues often balance more quickly than chronic issues, so keep this in mind if you’re been struggling with insomnia for a long time.

While Hypnosis doesn’t wear off, secondary gain can be a factor. Secondary gain is when a problem (behavior, mindset, or habit) actually offers a positive result.

For example, smoking may help you relax, or insomnia may offer creative quiet time at night while everyone else is sleeping. The secondary gain may be something that you aren’t aware of consciously. In these situations, a client will book a refresher session or sessions to reinforce the positive changes they made, address additional triggers that may have come up related to the original problem, and/or find new ways to fulfill the positive intention related to the secondary gain.

Sleep Hypnosis for Insomnia Protocol

Not only does Hypnosis help you relax, shifting your mind and body into parasympathetic / rest-and-digest mode (vs. sympathetic / fight-or-flight mode), but you’ll learn a valuable Hypnosis for sleep protocol as part of your sessions.

Hypnosis for sleeping is about active ways for you to feel more in control of your thoughts and how you feel in your body. I’ll make suggestions to your unconscious mind about how you want to change related to sleep. Because everyone is different, the protocol will be personalized to your learning style, triggers or specific issues related to sleep, and the outcomes that you’re looking for.

This Hypnosis for sleep protocol has interchangeable parts, and you’ll be able to mix and match and create the perfect protocol customized just for you. Specifically, you’ll learn:

• How to use Hypnosis for sleep and anxiety surrounding the fear of not getting to sleep or being able to stay asleep
• How to work with the neuroplasticity of the brain, and retrain your brain and body to overcome insomnia and sleep better
• 5 Self Hypnosis for sleep techniques to help you get to sleep easily (as well as deal with stress throughout the day)
• A Self-Hypnosis technique that may just provide you with magical dreams all night long (this is a client favorite!)

A Self-Hypnosis Technique For Getting to Sleep

Try This: The Movie Technique

The Movie Technique is a favorite. I can teach you how to do this more thoroughly during your session, but here’s a sample of one of the Self Hypnosis for sleep techniques.

This works with your mirror neurons: when you watch yourself in a movie, the brain acts as though you’re actually doing it. (Most pro-athletes use Hypnosis and techniques like this for peak performance.)

• Pick a focal point and soften your gaze.
• Count down from 10 to 1, opening and closing your eyes with each count, and feeling a wave of relaxation each time.
• Imagine sitting in a movie theater watching a short movie of yourself on the screen, having made some positive change or achieved a goal (like sleeping soundly) you’ve been working towards.
• Float into the movie and try it on.
• Do this once or twice a day and notice what happens.

First-Hand Feedback

I’ve been suffering from insomnia for the past 6 months due to anxiety and recent life stress. My mind raced at night, keeping me from falling and staying asleep. Deborah taught me several easy methods to relax my mind and let go of my anxiety/fear of not being able to sleep on my own. After the session, I felt so much better going to sleep: my mind didn’t race, and instead I felt sleepy and much more relaxed than I have in a while.  –Y.E.

I feel so much better since our last session, it’s amazing how fast you can see results! I didn’t need to take anything to help me sleep last night (that’s a first for as long as I can remember) and the techniques were so helpful and easy to use. I did wake up once to go to the bathroom, but didn’t toss and turn like I usually do, and was able to fall back asleep easily. I actually feel rested and relaxed today, which is quite a miracle. Thank you!  –J.L.

Purchased a session for my daughter in the hope it might help her with her sleep issues. The results dramatically exceeded our expectations – after only one session my daughter reported improved quality of sleep and to my surprise a path to repair a long-term dysfunctional relationship with a close family member that most likely was a factor in her sleep issues.

My daughter has since purchased additional sessions on her own to continue her progress she describes as LIFE CHANGING. She experience more immediate benefits in one session with Deborah than 15 years of sporadic sessions with psychologists, analysts, and counselors. Congratulations to Deborah for providing a path to help people like my daughter take control over their quality of life. –H.R.

Reiki is a system of natural healing originating in Japan in the 1920s. Reiki means “spiritual energy” and this “Ki,” is in every living thing.

Reiki can reduce stress and restore balance related to many physical, mental, and emotional issues, including sleep. In fact, one of the most common benefits clients notice after receiving Distance Reiki is sleeping better. Similar to Hypnosis, Reiki also helps the body transition out of fight-or-flight mode into parasympathetic, rest and digest mode. In this way, using Reiki for insomnia can help your body and mind relax.

During a virtual Reiki session, the practitioner is a channel for the Reiki (Ki, Qi, prana—all are different terms for life-force energy) to move through, strengthening and clearing the energy pathways or meridians through your body according to what it needs. Often the balancing effects of Reiki for sleep can be noticed for several days, and even weeks especially if you consciously support the process.

There’s no difference with in-person vs. online Reiki effectiveness (other than being able to relax in the comfort of your own home) and you can find out more about how it works and what to expect here. I also put together a comprehensive Beginner’s Guide to Distance Healing if you want to learn more.

Reiki Self-Care Protocol

Reiki was originally used in Japan as a daily self-healing practice, and it’s easy to learn and apply. Many Reiki students use Reiki techniques for sleep. The Reiki Self-Care protocol (which they learn in the beginner, level one Reiki training) can be used before bed to help you fall asleep.

I put together this guide to Reiki training, which includes how to prepare, what to expect, and tips for getting the most out of your Reiki level 1 class

And here’s how to find a qualified Reiki teacher.

First-Hand Feedback

Thank you so much for the session yesterday – it was a lifesaver! I passed out cold for 3 hours after the session, followed by a good night’s sleep — which is a miracle for me since I could barely sleep the last two weeks. I will definitely continue to do the exercises to help calm my nerves as well. Thanks so much again, I greatly appreciate all your help. –M.Y.

Received a Reiki session 2 days ago and afterwards I felt like my old self! I was very stressed, impatient, not sleeping well, etc.  After just one session I am feeling so much more productive, sleeping better, and my shoulders are where there are supposed to be–not tensed up. I highly recommend. –S.K.

I can’t believe it’s only been a few days, but I’m learning a lot from my Reiki hands! So cool, really. I’ve been sleeping better than I have in a long time, which has been a relief. I want to thank you for teaching me Reiki. I’ve been perusing Reiki books and when they talk about finding the right teacher, I feel good knowing that I was lead to just the right person to initiate me in this practice. –R.K.

Tao Hands brings the frequency and vibration of the Source (or Tao) to help release blockages in your soul, heart, mind, and body. One of the unique benefits of Tao Hands is that it works at the soul level; here’s more about how it works and the potential benefits you can experience.

By directly addressing the root cause of the imbalance related to your insomnia at the level of the soul, healing can happen more quickly. Tao Hands also helps shift the body into parasympathetic nervous system, rest-and-digest mode, so people often notice that they sleep better following sessions even if sleep isn’t their primary focus for healing.

Tao Hands Protocol

Tao Hands are a form of soul healing; Reiki is energy healing. Tao Hands offer a higher level of frequency and vibrational healing and is more flexible in its applications.

Similar to Reiki, Tao Hands is an easy, yet powerful modality you can learn to use for self-healing. Imagine using Tao Hands for sleep by giving yourself a Tao Hands blessing each night to help you get to  sleep and get back to sleep.

First-Hand Feedback

Thanks so much for everything. I enjoyed the session…but the more profound experience was definitely in the days that followed. Everything seemed to change in ways I couldn’t have foreseen. I found myself walking differently, I began to sleep through the night and have positive dreams — perhaps most significantly people noticed immediately that something had changed. My therapist was astounded by the different way I bounced into his office and asked for your number, and my husband came home today saying he was going to make an appointment, too! Amazing. –K.F.

I wanted to let you know that the sessions were so deeply relaxing for me, and I had the best night of sleep ever. I feel so much more calm in general. –P.K.

I had such a deep and restful sleep last night and don’t remember the last time I woke so refreshed and rested feeling. I also felt much better physically, and that my body could do lots of healing through the night.  As for my mood and emotion, I feel much more relaxed today, like I had to remind myself that I was feeling so blue earlier this week.  –A.P.

Flower essences can gently balance negative emotions and people often experience a range of negative emotions related to insomnia. Find out more about flower essences, including what they are, how they work, how to take them, and the potential benefits.

Here are some common flower essences for sleep. (I often make personalized recommendations during your session, so just ask!)

• Vervain for an overactive mind, thinking of all the things you need to do when you’re trying to sleep.
• White Chestnut for ruminating and thinking about the same things over and over.
• Rescue Remedy for when you’re anxious, impatient that you won’t get to sleep, and obsessively checking the clock.
• Aspen when you have nightmares and dread going to sleep.
• Mimulus when you’re afraid you won’t be able to fall asleep or get back to sleep.
• Flora-Sleep by Flower Essence Services

• I created a Soul Healing Recording: Anxiety Relief: Embody Peace. It includes a combination of Hypnosis and guided meditation and can be used to get to sleep or release anxiety related to sleep.
• Uncommon Knowledge offers a range of guided Hypnosis for sleep downloads (as well as for many different issues). While recordings aren’t able to be as personalized as a one-on-one Hypnosis for sleep sessions, they can be helpful between sessions and for prolonging the effects. [affiliate link]
• Nothing Much Happens Bedtime Stories for Grownups is a popular podcast to help you get to sleep.
• Insight Timer is a free meditation app that includes guided meditations to help you get to sleep.

Regardless of your specific sleep issues, there are things you can do to relax the mind and body, and Tao Hands, Reiki, and Hypnosis for sleep offer gentle, yet powerful possibilities. I hope this has given you some new ideas and things to consider because there are so many ways you can do this.

Ready to get a good night’s sleep? Book an online session no matter where you live in the world. I look forward to supporting you.

Want to layer it up? I often combine Hypnosis with Reiki and Tao Hands for an extra good night sleep!