The main advantage of using hypnosis for insomnia is the possibility of improved sleep habits. There are also disadvantages of using hypnosis for insomnia, including the possibility that the hypnosis sessions might be ineffective, which means money spent on the sessions would be wasted. People who struggle with insomnia may feel that paying for the hypnosis sessions is worth it because there is a chance the hypnosis might work. Some people may not be willing to pay for hypnotherapy because they are skeptical and do not believe that it would cure their insomnia. Even though hypnosis may not improve insomnia in everyone who undergoes it, it will likely not make insomnia symptoms worse.
Studies have shown that some people who struggle with insomnia are able to benefit from hypnosis. During hypnosis, a person goes into a trance-like state, which allows his mind to open up to various suggestions put in place by the person performing the hypnosis. When hypnosis for insomnia is being performed, the hypnotist will likely try to plant suggestions regarding rest and relaxation into the mind of an insomnia sufferer. After the session is complete, the person undergoing the hypnosis will probably not remember everything the hypnotist said, but she may find that she is much more inclined to relax. If the hypnotherapy session was successful, sleep should come about more easily than before.
Hypnosis for insomnia does not work on everyone, and one possible reason for this is that some people are hard to hypnotize. If a person is unable to go fully into a trance-like state during hypnosis, the words of the hypnotist will likely be meaningless and ineffective. Even though hypnotherapy sessions are not always expensive, a failed session could be fairly disheartening to a person who paid expecting an improvement in his insomnia symptoms. Some hypnosis centers may offer refunds if their services are not beneficial, but others may not. When hypnosis for insomnia is being considered for treatment, it is probably best to speak with various hypnosis centers beforehand to find out if they offer a refund for failed sessions.
It might be a good idea for a person considering hypnosis for insomnia to attempt self-hypnosis first. If the self-hypnosis seems helpful, there is a good chance that a session with a professional hypnotist would work out well. The steps for self-hypnosis often include full-body relaxation, taking deep breaths, and visualization. Self-hypnosis tends to be very similar to meditation, and people who have experience practicing meditation will likely have an easier time with self-hypnosis.