How hypnotherapy helps you sleep better and changes your dreams.
When I first started training as a hypnotherapist, one of the earliest and most profound changes I experienced was in the quality of my dreams. I seemed to dream more often. And the dreams were vivid with symbols, archetypes and meaning. Colours might be turned up, more vivid than ever, or desaturated, and even black and white. They were the kind of dreams I would return to during the day, allowing the meaning to turn over and over. I started keep a dream journal.
I became more skilled at understanding not only my known self, my ‘ego’, in the dream, but also my shadow self, the parts I might prefer to consciously conceal. And that resulted in fascinating new insights about myself as well as self-acceptance.
Carl Jung wrote that “The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul.”
Isn't it amazing that we can wake up every day with the ability to understand ourselves and our lives better? Even if you don't remember your dreams, rest assured that your subconscious is busy processing your emotions and experiences every night.
Hypnotherapy changed my dreams. But hypnosis itself is also similar to a dream state — both are altered states of mind. Patients report they can feel entirely alert and conscious throughout hypnotherapy, albeit utterly physically relaxed, or they can feel deeply in a trance which has a dreamlike quality. Sometimes they feel like they were asleep and have a form of waking dream, or trance dream, while in hypnosis. This is all completely normal. The key is not to have expectations. Allow it to just be. There is nothing you need to know, nothing you need to do and there is no need to try. You can allow your conscious mind to curl up and relax in a corner. And if you dream, you dream...
The Relationship Between Hypnosis and Dreaming
Dreams and hypnosis both access the subconscious mind, where repressed emotions, unresolved conflicts and hidden insights reside. Research has shown that hypnotisability is correlated with vividness of mental imagery and increased dream recall. People who can become fully absorbed in imaginative involvement and are open to imaginative experience can more easily be hypnotised. This suggests that hypnosis may also enhance a person’s ability to engage with and interpret their dreams more deeply.
Hypnotherapy for Sleep and Its Effect on Dreams
Hypnotherapy has been widely used to treat insomnia and sleep disorders. Research indicates that hypnotherapy can increase slow-wave sleep, the deep stages 3 and 4 of non-rapid eye movement sleep crucial for physical and mental restoration, immune function and memory consolidation. Because deep sleep plays a role in emotional processing and memory consolidation, hypnosis-induced improvements in sleep quality may also affect dream content in REM, making dreams more vivid and emotionally insightful. A study highlighted by the Sleep Foundation found that suggestions to “sleep deeper" during hypnosis increased slow-wave sleep, a critical phase for physical and mental recovery.
In addition, hypnotherapy has been used to treat nightmares, particularly in individuals with PTSD. Guided imagery and hypnotic suggestion can help people reshape distressing dreams into less threatening ones, reducing their emotional impact over time.
Hypnotherapy for Phobias and the Impact on Dreams
Treating phobias with hypnotherapy can also influence dream content. Patients report experiencing dreams about their previously feared object or situation, but with a significant change — they no longer feel fear. In fact, they can even notice in the dream that they do not feel fear and they find it pleasantly surprising. This aligns with theories that the subconscious mind continues to process emotional material during sleep, integrating new, healthier responses learned during hypnosis.
By addressing the root cause of fear and desensitising the emotional response through hypnosis, individuals often experience a shift in their dream narratives. Dreams can act as a sign that the subconscious mind is adapting and reinforcing new coping mechanisms. Imagine — you continue to get better while you sleep!
Conclusion
Dreams have long been considered a window into the subconscious, and hypnosis provides another means of opening that window. Whether in the dream state or under hypnosis, the mind has a unique ability to reveal insights, resolve conflicts and process deep emotions. Both states allow us to access the hidden corners of the psyche, offering opportunities for self-discovery and transformation. If hypnotherapy changes our waking lives, it is no surprise that it also shapes the landscapes of our dreams.
Sleep well and sweet dreams!
If you would like hypnotherapy to improve your sleep or to explore your dreams, please contact me or make a booking, I'd love to help you.
References
Abramowitz, E. G., & Lichtenberg, P. Hypnosis in the treatment of trauma: A promising tool. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 2010.
Bryant, R. A., Moulds, M. L., Guthrie, R. M., & Nixon, R. D. The additive benefit of hypnosis and cognitive-behavioural therapy in treating acute stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2005.
Cordi, M. J., Schlarb, A. A., & Rasch, B. Deepening sleep by hypnotic suggestion. Sleep, 2014.
Crawford, H. J. Hypnotizability, daydreaming styles, imagery perspectives and vividness, and absorption: Relationships assessed in a hypnotic context. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1982.
Holzinger, B., & Klösch, G. Lucid dreaming and the treatment of nightmares: A systematic review. Dreaming, 2013.
Zamore N., Barrett D. Hypnotic susceptibility and dream characteristics. Psychiatr J Univ Ott, 1989
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