Sleep...sleep...sleep

There was a blockage in Boots the other day; not the footwear…the shop. I don’t usually go in there because if I’m honest it’s all a bit too prawn sandwiches and neon lights (to quote Victoria Wood) for my liking, but it is a useful shortcut to the high street. The hold-up was the ever-extending queue for the prescription counter. As I and my fellow short cutters snaked our way through the shop, I noticed a stand with an array of sleep aid products. From nose clips and tapes to stop snoring, to herbal remedies and neck pillows; it confirmed what I already know from my private practice; sleep is an all too common problem. 

Clients tell me they use all sorts of methods to help them gain some precious hours of shut-eye, but it seems with varying success. 

Some people swear by stopping caffeine intake early in the afternoon, and never in the evening. Others make sure they don’t eat too late. Most follow the advice to stop using electronic devices before bed, the blue light presumably making it more difficult to fall asleep. The real sufferer often uses sleep diaries or apps to record how well they have slept; tracking the peaks and troughs of their sleep cycle. 

Why is the success such a hit and miss? 

There are many reasons why someone might it difficult to sleep, such as stress and anxiety, as well as underlying medical conditions, but in addition to that, I argue that many of the ‘better sleep methods’, work in contrast to what we know about mental priming and unconscious suggestion. The result is that many times there is little lasting benefit in relation to their sleep. 

A few things to think about…

1. One thing to understand about unconscious suggestion is that ambiguities and confusing instructions must be avoided. Our unconscious deals with things in a very pragmatic way: it either does or it doesn’t, there are no grey areas. The more straight forward we make our suggestions the better. 

2. The second thing to understand is that negatives are a no-go-area. Suggestions for new behaviour must always be worded as a statement of what is going to happen, or what is happening. It would be entirely pointless to suggest that something is not going to happen. 

3. The third thing to grasp is that we are programming (suggesting) behaviours to ourselves all the time. The thoughts we have, the actions we do, the things people say to us, all contribute to the instructions our unconscious is listening out for.

When a person buys that product to help them sleep, I would argue that that is a powerful suggestion that they are not going to sleep. Why would they be buying the product unless they were not sleeping better? 

You may say: ‘But they want to sleep better, isn’t that a positive suggestion?’ Only if their thought process was I am going to sleep so well tonight (for example). But then, if they thought that why would they buy it anyway? 

Complicated? 

All I’m really saying is that the very act of engaging in activities designed to help you sleep is a powerful suggestion that you are going to find it difficult to sleep. The person who does not have a problem with sleep is not reducing their evening caffeine intake. They are not using a special pillow or using a particular type of night-light. Chances are they are reading the news on their phone, turning over and going to sleep.  Why? Because they don’t think of themselves as someone who has trouble sleeping, it is not part of who they are psychologically. Their expectation is that they will sleep well each night, and any changes in their sleep pattern are simply natural fluctuations and not something that needed tracking on an app. 


In the end, if someone sleeps better by taking care to adhere to better sleep methods, then fantastic. If, however, they have not worked for you then it may be worth considering whether the methods they are using are creating an obstacle and expectation that they have a sleep problem. 

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