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Hypnosis
extends restorative slow-wave sleep
Deep sleep promotes our well-being, improves our memory and
strengthens the body’s defences. Researchers demonstrated
how restorative slow-wave sleep can be increased without
medication – using hypnosis.
Sleeping well is a crucial factor contributing to our
physical and mental restoration. SWS in particular has
a positive impact for instance on memory and the functioning
of the immune system. During periods of SWS, growth hormones
are secreted, cell repair is promoted and the defence system
is stimulated. If you feel sick or have had a hard working
day, you often simply want to get some good, deep sleep. A
wish that you can’t influence through your own will – so the
widely held preconception.
Sleep researchers now prove the opposite. They have
demonstrated that hypnosis has a positive impact on the
quality of sleep. “It opens up new, promising
opportunities for improving the quality of sleep without
drugs”, says biopsychologist Björn Rasch who heads the
study at the Psychological Institute of the University of
Zurich in conjunction with the “Sleep and Learning” project.
Brain waves – an indicator of sleep quality
Hypnosis is a method that can influence processes which are
very difficult to control voluntarily. Patients with sleep
disturbances can indeed be successfully treated with
hypnotherapy. However, up to now it hadn’t been proven
that this can lead to an objectively measurable change in
sleep. To objectively measure sleep, electrical brain
activity is recorded using an electroencephalogram
(EEG). The characteristic feature of slow-wave sleep,
which is deemed to have high restorative capacity, is a very
even and slow oscillation in electrical brain activity.
According to psychologist Maren Cordi “the results may be of
major importance for patients with sleep problems and for
older adults. In contrast to many sleep-inducing drugs,
hypnosis has no adverse side effects”. Maren Cordi, Angelika Schlarb, Björn Rasch.
Deepening sleep by hypnotic suggestions. Universities of
Zurich and Fribourg. Sleep. 062014
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