Hypnotherapy for Sleep Disorders: Evidence-Based Strategies and Practical Clinical Tools

Sleep difficulties are a major contributor to many of the concerns clients seek hypnotherapy for, including anxiety, low mood, chronic pain, and weight-related challenges. Yet, despite a strong and growing evidence base for hypnotherapy in the treatment of sleep disorders, many clinicians still address sleep with generic relaxation alone. While this may reduce arousal and stress, it often overlooks the breadth of sleep presentations, including nightmares, circadian rhythm/sleep phase disorders, and insomnia.

This presentation offers a clear, clinically usable overview of common sleep disorders, with a structured approach to identifying the nature of a client’s sleep difficulty from intake. Attendees will learn assessment strategies to identify a broader range of sleep difficulties, including nightmares and circadian rhythm/sleep phase disorders, and to differentiate between presentations.

It then translates the research into practical, tailored interventions, including directed dreaming, hormone-informed mind:body approaches, and skills-based strategies that build client self-efficacy and support lasting change.

Dr. Claire Jack is an experienced hypnotherapist, training provider, and writer specialising in neurodivergence, women’s wellbeing, and sleep disorders. With a PhD focused on women’s lived experiences, she delivers evidence-informed, trauma-informed training that prioritises ethical practice, client safety, and relevant, modern outcomes. She provides CPD-accredited education in menopause, sleep, neurodiversity, and children’s hypnotherapy, translating research into structured, usable protocols. She is the author of "Women with Autism" and "Raised by a Narcissist", and a regular contributor to Psychology Today.