It’s only 7pm, but I’m sinking into my giant king-sized bed in a Kensington hotel, covering my eyes with a mask, and preparing for a great night. sleep.
I came for a hypnotherapy session with star hypnotherapist Marminder Gill. I’m hoping this will help with my sleep anxiety, which will make me sleep again and go away again. She created Sleep Concierge her packages at various hotels in London in response to her increased sleep travel. This trend seems unstoppable, from sleep retreats to detox cabins. Everyone is traveling to get more sleep.
Like the weather, most of us can talk about sleep right away. How many hours do you sleep? How are you not getting enough sleep? What keeps you up at night? We’re also a bit obsessed with analyzing our sleep, with millions of people using smartwatches and trackers like Whoop to see if they can hack their sleep cycles. (Or feel even more anxious about how much kip you’re not getting). After weeks of sleeping like a baby, sleep anxiety creeps in out of nowhere. Before you know it, it’s 2am and you’re still awake.
Sleep Concierge Package at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park
sleep anxiety
Gill says she’s not alone and has noticed that many of her clients are experiencing some form of sleep anxiety following the pandemic. She said: “At first she was running on a hamster wheel and we were sleeping like babies, but it wasn’t long before she started to struggle, she probably took about six weeks.
“We were stuck at home, not being able to move much, there was the stress of the unknown, and there was a huge lack of stimulation throughout the day. I get distracted by that.”
Post-pandemic, we’ve all returned to some sort of normalcy, but I’ve spent the majority of my time working from home, and other personal stresses have affected my sleep time. It’s making an impact. So is my problem here?
Sleep expert Dr. Sophie Bostock says that whether it’s work or personal stress, they all affect our sleep patterns. lighter stage.
She went on to say that this makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective, saying, “Our ancestors who slept in stressful environments may have camped out next to saber-toothed cats. “Those who remained awake were the ones who survived.” And we were able to respond to that threat. ”
Gill went on to add that hypnosis not only helps us relax, but also helps us “reprogram our minds and reduce anxiety.”
So, what exactly is a sleep concierge service?
Based in a London hotel, this is not a shabby place to get a decent night’s sleep. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by a butler and front desk staff who will take your luggage and get some sleep.
When you get to your room, you look up at your king-sized bed and get excited. After a long day at work, those cozy crisp sheets are calling to me, but I resist the urge to dive in as soon as my chamomile tea arrives. Choose from my pillow menu. I’m pretty picky when it comes to pillows, but I chose an anti-aging pillow. The silk pillowcase has a medium fluffy feel, perfect for a good night’s sleep.
When Gil arrives, we discuss the anxiety I have with sleep and what makes it worse. Here I mentioned a mix of my inability to stop binge-watching my girlfriend’s latest Netflix show, bad habits I’ve picked up, and even personal stressors.
I was finally able to crawl into bed and relax with a mask over my eyes. And it’s time for her 1-2-1 hypnotherapy session with Gil. I’ve never tried hypnosis before and am pretty nervous that it won’t work for me, but to be honest, I’m so grateful to be able to lie horizontally in the comfort of my bed.
Gill, who also runs her own practice on Harley Street, begins with a few relaxation techniques and meditative words before sinking into bed and letting me release the stress of the day.
When I blacked out or faded, she used visualization tools to ease my anxiety. Before you pick up the stone, you find yourself imagining a calm landscape with water in front of you. She says it shows my anxiety. Gil asked me to imagine the weight of the stone as anxiety about sleep. Feel the weight of your hands and body. When she finally told me to throw the stone into the lake, I felt like a huge burden had been lifted.
She brings me back with more soothing sounds and meditative words. And by the time she opens her eyes, I feel relaxed and ready for a great night’s sleep.
Did sleep hypnosis work for me?
I slept well that night. My smartwatch let me know that my sleep quality was adequate. But after a few weeks, my anxiety returned again. I stayed up until the early hours of the morning and tried to use the visualization and relaxation tricks that Gil used on me, but it didn’t help to bring me excitement, I lost concentration and my mind was racing. I did. the next day.
But thankfully, the next time I felt anxious about my sleep, I was able to quickly adopt a relaxing, meditative routine that quickly returned me to better sleep and woke up refreshed. I can’t say it’s helped me completely reprogram my anxiety, but it has helped me relax more and it’s been a great start when it comes to nodding off at night.
Can hypnosis help with sleep problems?
Dr. Bostock believes that hypnotherapy is effective in calming the body and mind. “If you have been having trouble sleeping for a long time and are feeling extremely anxious, the immediate benefit of hypnotherapy is a deep sense of relaxation.” ”
But for long-term sleep problems, she recommends a more effective approach. “CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for insomnia is a toolkit of different approaches to address what’s wrong with sleep deprivation.” This includes behavioral interventions to address unhelpful thoughts about sleep. and cognitive therapy, as well as ways to approach relaxation. ”
Other sleep-inducing experiences:
- Hotpod Yoga is introducing sleep sessions. This sleep-inducing yoga has gentle warmth and a soft flowing routine to help you relax before bed.
- Pan Pacific offers a sleep sensory package that includes a sleep menu, meditation, and even temperature-controlled bedding.
The Sleep Concierge service, which includes a 1-2-1 session with hypnotherapist Marminder Gill, can be booked at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London and select European hotels.
