The dynamic duo: How Journaling and Hypnosis Can Supercharge Your Sleep (with free sleep hypnosis audio)
- Alexandra Morrisroe (Dip Hyp CS)
- Mar 30
- 2 min read
Struggling to sleep? You’re not alone; we all do from time to time. Turning bedtime struggles into easy slumber can be as simple as combining two gentle, research-backed tools: journaling and hypnotherapy. Here’s how you can make falling asleep easier—and maybe even a little more enjoyable. I've included a free sleep hypnosis audio above to get you started.
Journaling for Sleep: Turn Your Thoughts Into Zzz’s
A 2018 Baylor University study found that writing a to-do list for just five minutes before bed helped people fall asleep significantly faster than other forms of journaling. Gratitude journaling has also been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep quality (Jackowska et al., 2016).
The brain download technique: Jot down your worries or tomorrow’s to-do list to get them out of your head and onto paper—think of your mind like a computer downloading your concerns for a future date.
Appreciate the day: List three good things from your day and watch your stress melt away.
Playful prompts: Title your lists with topics such as “What made me laugh today?” or “What lifted my spirits.”
Hypnosis for Sleep: Relax Like a Pro
Research published in the journal Sleep (Cordi et al., 2014) showed that listening to hypnotic suggestions before bed increased the amount of deep, restorative slow-wave sleep. Hypnosis is also used in evidence-based therapies for insomnia.
Guided sleep hypnosis audios can hush racing thoughts and help your body chill out. (Lower cortisol = more snooze time!)
Self-hypnosis hacks—like progressive muscle relaxation or imagining your dream vacation—signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
Create Your Bedtime Ritual
Kick off your wind-down routine with five minutes of journaling, then cue up a 20-minute hypnosis track. Stick with it nightly for a couple of weeks, and you might just find yourself looking forward to lights-out. If you want some free tracks, check out the Imagine with Alexandra YouTube Channel.
Sweet dreams!
References:
Scullin, M. K., & McDaniel, M. A. (2018). The Effects of Bedtime Writing on Difficulty Falling Asleep: A Polysomnographic Study Comparing To-Do Lists and Completed Activity Lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139–146. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000374
Jackowska, M., Brown, J., Ronaldson, A., & Steptoe, A. (2016). The impact of a brief gratitude intervention on subjective well-being, biology and sleep. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(10), 2207–2217. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105315572455
Cordi, M. J., Schlarb, A. A., & Rasch, B. (2014). Listening to Hypnotic Suggestions Increases the Amount of Slow-Wave Sleep in the Night. Sleep, 37(6), 1143–1150. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.3780
Comments