integrative therapy + hypnotherapy for sleep
therapy for sleep + insomnia
The science-informed approach to waking up feeling rested and refreshed.
hypnotherapy for sleep
A good night's sleep changes more than you think.
Imagine you open your eyes naturally, just before your alarm. Sunlight filters through the curtains, and the day already feels like something you can meet rather than endure. You’re not reaching for your phone to calculate how many hours you managed last night.
Instead able to think more clearly and make better choices, because for the first time in a while, you’re not running on empty. The afternoon is no longer fuelled by caffeine. The people around you start to see a more patient, more present version of you.
And somewhere in the ordinary moments, there’s something that feels like enjoyment returning once again.
Good sleep isn’t just rest. It gives you your life back.
therapy for sleep
The reality of sleep struggles.
If that feels like a long way from where you are right now, you’re not alone. Sleep difficulties are common, with insomnia thought to affect around one in three people in the UK. Sleep problems can show up in different ways. Maybe it’s lying awake for hours, waking in the night, waking too early, restless sleep, or feeling as though you never quite get the rest you need.
What makes it so frustrating is that sleep is not something you can force. You can do all the right things and still find yourself wide awake, watching the clock, calculating how little sleep you might get, or worrying about how you will cope tomorrow.
Over time, bedtime itself can start to feel like something you have to get right. Your body may be tired, but your mind becomes alert. The more important sleep feels, the more pressure builds around it.
You are not bad at sleep. You have not failed because the usual advice has not worked. Sleep problems are often kept going by understandable patterns, and those patterns can be changed.
When your mind works with you instead of against you, everything changes.
hypnotherapy for sleep
more than just rest
Understanding Sleep
Sleep is not just the absence of being awake. It is an active process that supports your brain, body and emotional wellbeing. Good sleep helps with memory, learning, concentration, mood, immune function, physical repair and your ability to cope with everyday demands.
That does not mean one bad night is a disaster. Your body is resilient. But when sleep is repeatedly disrupted, it can start to affect how you think, feel, respond and recover.
So, why doesn’t sleep just happen when you are tired?
Sleep is not something you can make happen by trying harder. It depends on several systems working together, including sleep pressure, your body clock, stress levels, habits, environment and the way your mind responds when sleep does not come.
Therapy helps by looking at what may be interfering with sleep, then building practical ways to reduce pressure, respond differently to wakefulness, and create better conditions for rest and sleep.
The cycle of insomnia
Sleep problems often begin for understandable reasons. Stress, pain, anxiety, illness, hormones, life changes, grief, parenting, work pressure or a difficult period can all disrupt sleep for a while.
The problem is that once sleep becomes difficult, a new cycle can start. You may begin worrying about sleep, watching the clock, calculating how many hours are left, or trying hard to make yourself switch off. During the day, you may find yourself thinking about how badly you slept, worrying about how you will cope, or trying to work out what you did wrong.
This is completely understandable. It makes sense that you would want to fix something so important. But the more urgent sleep feels, the more pressure builds around it. Bedtime can start to feel like a test, and wakefulness can start to feel like a threat. This can make your mind and body more alert, which is the opposite of what sleep needs.
Therapy helps by working with the cycle, not just the symptoms. We look at what is keeping the struggle going, reduce the pressure around sleep, and build practical ways to respond differently when wakefulness shows up.
integrative therapy + hypnotherapy for sleep
The hidden cost of poor sleep
Poor sleep affects more than your nights. While one bad night isn’t a disaster, your body is more resilient than it can feel at 3am. But when sleep is repeatedly disrupted, it can start to affect many areas of life, including:
Concentration and memory, making it harder to think clearly, focus or make decisions.
Mood and emotional regulation, leaving you more irritable, tearful, anxious or easily overwhelmed.
Energy and motivation, so even ordinary tasks can feel heavier than they should.
Physical wellbeing, including recovery, immune function, stress regulation and general health.
Relationships and daily life, especially when tiredness makes it harder to be patient, present or engaged.
This is why therapy for sleep is not just about getting more hours. It is about reducing the struggle around sleep, supporting recovery, and helping you feel more able to live your life during the day.
ACT, mindfulness + hypnotherapy for sleep
An evidence-based approach
Sleep difficulties are rarely solved by simply trying harder to relax. By the time sleep has become a problem, there is often a cycle of worry, frustration, monitoring, pressure and habits that keep the struggle going. My approach is tailored to you, using evidence-based psychological therapies for sleep, including:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you change your relationship with wakefulness, worry and the pressure to sleep. Instead of fighting the experience of being awake, we work on reducing sleep effort, stepping back from unhelpful thoughts, and responding differently when sleep does not come.
Mindfulness can help you notice thoughts, sensations and frustration without immediately getting pulled into the struggle. It is not about emptying your mind or forcing calm, but about creating more steadiness around what is happening.
Behavioural strategies can help rebuild helpful sleep patterns, support your body clock, reduce habits that keep the cycle going, and create clearer cues for rest and sleep.
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy can support sleep work by using focused attention, therapeutic suggestion, imagery, mental rehearsal and self-hypnosis skills. This can help you practise settling, letting go of the struggle, and responding differently to wakefulness.
The aim is not to force sleep. It is to reduce the pressure around sleep, support your natural sleep systems, and create better conditions for rest to happen.
A good nights sleep
How we work together
hypnotherapy for sleep online and in warwickshire
01
book a free consultation
A relaxed 30-minute call to talk through what has been going on, what you would like to be different, and whether working together feels right. You can ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and take time to decide what you would like to do next.
02
in-depth assessment
Your first full session is 90 minutes. We look at how sleep difficulties are showing up for you, what may be keeping the struggle going, and how poor sleep is affecting your mood, energy, work, relationships and daily life. By the end, we have a clearer picture to work from.
03
a personalised plan
After your assessment, we agree a plan for therapy. This includes what we will focus on, which approaches are likely to help, and what you can practise between sessions, so the work feels clear and purposeful.
04
sessions to fit your life
After your assessment, we agree a plan for therapy. This includes what we will focus on, which approaches are likely to help, and what you can practise between sessions, so the work feels clear and purposeful.
What you can achieve
Your personalised sleep plan.
Your experience of sleep difficulties is unique, so the plan we build around it needs to be personal to you.
Together, we look at what has been keeping the sleep struggle going, what it is costing you, and what would help you build a healthier relationship with rest, sleep and wakefulness. The work is practical, evidence-based and designed to help you use the skills in real life, not just understand them in theory. Depending on what matters to you, we may work towards helping you:
- Understand what is keeping the insomnia cycle going, and why trying harder to sleep can sometimes make things worse.
- Reduce sleep effort, clock-watching and the pressure to get sleep “right”.
- Respond differently when you are awake in the night, rather than being pulled into worry, frustration or calculation.
- Build routines and cues that support your natural sleep systems without turning sleep into another performance task.
- Step back from unhelpful thoughts about sleep, so they have less power over how you feel and what you do.
- Handle tired days with more steadiness, and build confidence in your ability to rest, recover and cope.
sleep again programme therapy for sleep
Lasting change takes more than one conversation. That is why therapy for sleep usually works best when there is enough time to understand what is keeping the sleep struggle going, build the right skills, and practise using them in real life, not just in the therapy room.
Your programme includes:
Session 1 In-depth assessment (90 mins):
We map out what has been happening, how sleep difficulties are affecting your life, what may be keeping the insomnia cycle going, and what you would like to be different.
Sessions 2 - 6 (60 mins each):
We work with evidence-based approaches including ACT, mindfulness, behavioural strategies and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy. The focus is on understanding how sleep is affecting you, reducing sleep effort, changing your relationship with wakefulness, and building practical skills that support rest and recovery.
also included
- A free 30-minute consultation before you begin.
- Sessions online or in person in North Warwickshire, convenient for clients in Tamworth, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and the surrounding Midlands area.
- Your private client space inside the Your Mind Works app.
- Personalised audios, exercises and resources between sessions.
- Six months’ access to The Membership, with additional resources, live sessions and workshops.
6 session sleep programme: £600
This includes your 90-minute in-depth assessment, plus five 60-minute therapy sessions.
You can pay in full, or split the cost into two monthly payments of £300. Booked individually, the same sessions would cost £750, so the programme saves you £150 compared with paying session by session.
Most people start here, and we will confirm together whether this is the right fit during your free consultation.
Individual session rates
90-minute assessment: £150
60-minute therapy session: £120
If we agree that further sessions would be helpful after the programme, additional 60-minute sessions are available at the same reduced rate of £90 per session.
your mind works app
SUPPORT between sessions
Because life starts when your session ends.
Therapy for sleep is most helpful when the skills become something you can use in everyday life, not just something we talk about in a therapy session.
As a therapy client, you have your own private space inside the Your Mind Works app. This gives you a simple, organised way to access resources, guided practices and exercises chosen for the work we are doing together. Inside your private client space, I may share:
- Guided practices to help reduce sleep effort and pressure around sleep.
- Mindfulness audios to support present-moment awareness.
- Breathing and grounding practices for difficult nights.
- Personalised sleep audios, including breathing and relaxation practices.
- Journal prompts to help you notice patterns without becoming overly focused on sleep.
- Values exercises to help you keep life moving, even after a difficult night.
- You can also practice results with me before sessions to make our time together more effective.
- Access the app on your computer, tablet or phone, ideal for listening to audios at bedtime. Everything you need all in one place.
Our web-based app means you can easily access on any device with no app store download.
Additional resources, audios and more.
Schedule practices and exercises in your calendar
Your Personal Client Space
Join me for live group sessions
Library full of resources, mind tools, practices and audios.
Your Mind Works web-based app is available on your Apple and Android devices, or easily accessed on your browser and even on your TV.
Lucy Mundy
Your Mind Works
MSc, BSc (Hons) Psychology, HDipCBH, DipSMRB, GMBPsS, MNCIP (reg)
psychologist, integrative psychotherapist + coach
Sleep affects everything. Your thinking, your mood, your energy, your relationships, your health. It’s one of the most common difficulties people face, and often one of the most underestimated in terms of how it shapes our daily lives. Whether poor sleep is something recent or has been troubling you for a while now there’s a lot that we can do.
I’ve spent 25 years working across psychology, therapy and coaching, with specialist training in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, ACT and mindfulness, all of which have a strong research base for sleep difficulties and insomnia. I understand how sleep works biologically, what disrupts it, and what it takes to get your nights back on track. Sleep difficulties rarely exist in isolation, and working with the whole picture, the stress, the anxiety and your nervous system, is what makes the difference.
I bring warmth, straight talk, and the belief that you’re more capable of change than you might feel right now, because when sleep improves, everything else starts to follow. There’s a way forward, and we can find it together.
Kind Words
frequently asked questions
There is no single best therapy for sleep difficulties that suits everyone. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, is one of the most researched psychological approaches for insomnia, but the right approach depends on what is keeping the sleep struggle going for you.
My work also draws strongly on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, behavioural strategies and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy. The aim is to reduce sleep effort, change your relationship with wakefulness, and build practical skills that support rest and recovery.
Feeling tired does not always mean sleep will happen easily. Sleep depends on several systems working together, including sleep pressure, your body clock, stress levels, habits, environment and the way your mind responds when sleep does not come.
When sleep has become difficult, you may start monitoring, calculating, worrying or trying hard to switch off. This pressure can make your mind and body more alert, which is the opposite of what sleep needs.
Yes. Online therapy for sleep can work very well for many people, especially when there is a clear structure, a good therapeutic relationship and practical work between sessions.
Online sessions can make therapy easier to fit around work, family and everyday life. Many clients also like being able to meet from a familiar space, without travel time or needing to be local.
As a therapy client, you also have access to your own private space inside the Your Mind Works app, where I can share guided practices, sleep audios, exercises and resources chosen for the work we are doing together.
I offer therapy and hypnotherapy for sleep online across the UK, and in person from North Warwickshire.
My therapy space may be convenient if you are based near Tamworth, Atherstone, Nuneaton, Burton upon Trent, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Lichfield or the surrounding Midlands. Online sessions are also available if travelling is not practical.
Yes. I offer therapy for sleep in Warwickshire online and in person from North Warwickshire.
I work with clients across Warwickshire and the surrounding areas, including Tamworth, Atherstone, Nuneaton, Burton upon Trent, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Lichfield and nearby parts of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Therapy for sleep starts with understanding how sleep difficulties are showing up for you and what may be keeping the struggle going.
We look at your sleep patterns, stress levels, thoughts about sleep, routines, wakefulness, habits, body responses and how poor sleep is affecting your day. From there, we build a personalised plan using approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, behavioural strategies, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, guided practice and between-session tools.
Hypnotherapy can be helpful for sleep when it is used as part of a clear therapeutic approach.
In my work, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy uses focused attention, therapeutic suggestion, imagery, mental rehearsal and self-hypnosis skills to support sleep work. This can help you practise settling, letting go of the struggle, and responding differently when sleep does not come. Hypnosis is not about forcing sleep or losing control. You remain aware, involved and able to choose how you respond.
This depends on what you are experiencing, how long sleep has been difficult, and what kind of support will be most useful. Most people work with me through a six-session therapy for sleep programme, beginning with a 90-minute in-depth assessment. We review progress as we go, so the work stays focused, relevant and useful.
The six-session therapy for sleep programme is £600. This includes your 90-minute in-depth assessment, plus five 60-minute therapy sessions.
You can pay in full, or split the cost into two monthly payments of £300. Booked individually, the same sessions would cost £750, so the programme saves you £150 compared with paying session by session.
If we agree that further sessions would be helpful after the programme, additional 60-minute sessions are available at the same reduced programme rate of £90 per session.
Individual session rates are £150 for a 90-minute assessment and £120 for a 60-minute therapy session.
Hypnotherapy is generally considered safe when it is delivered by an appropriately trained practitioner and used within a clear therapeutic approach.
In Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, hypnosis is a focused state of attention, not unconsciousness or loss of control. You remain aware, involved and able to choose how you respond. It is not suitable for everyone, which is why we discuss your history, needs and suitability during the assessment process.
Yes. What you share in sessions is treated confidentially.
There are very limited exceptions, mainly if there were serious concerns about your safety or the safety of someone else. These situations are uncommon, and I would always aim to discuss this with you first where possible.
That is very common. Most people with sleep difficulties have already tried the usual advice: better routines, no screens, relaxation, herbal teas, earlier nights or trying harder to wind down.
The problem is that once sleep has become something you are trying to control, more effort can sometimes increase the pressure around it. Therapy helps you understand what is keeping the struggle going and build a different relationship with sleep, rest and wakefulness.
You do not need to wait until sleep problems feel unbearable before getting support. If sleep difficulties are affecting your mood, energy, concentration, work, relationships, health, confidence or sense of coping, it is worth taking seriously. The free 30-minute consultation is simply a chance to talk about what you would like to be different, ask any questions, and find out whether working together feels like the right fit.
CBT-I, or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, is one of the best-researched psychological approaches for insomnia and works well for many people.
My approach includes behavioural sleep principles, but also draws strongly on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy. This means we look not only at sleep habits and routines, but also at sleep effort, worry, frustration, avoidance and your relationship with wakefulness.
The aim is not to give you stricter sleep rules. It is to help you understand the cycle you are caught in, reduce the struggle around sleep, and practise different responses that support rest and recovery.
ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It can be especially helpful when sleep has become something you are fighting with.
Rather than trying to force sleep or get rid of every anxious thought, ACT helps you change your relationship with wakefulness, worry and frustration. You learn to notice unhelpful sleep thoughts, make room for discomfort, and respond in ways that reduce pressure rather than increase it.
For sleep, this can be useful when bedtime feels like a test, when your mind becomes busy at night, or when a bad night starts to shape how you feel about the whole next day.
Mindfulness helps you notice thoughts, sensations and frustration without immediately getting pulled into the struggle with them.
For sleep, this does not mean emptying your mind or making yourself calm on command. It means learning to notice the 3am thoughts, the urge to check the clock, or the frustration of being awake, without automatically treating them as problems you have to solve there and then.
Over time, this can help reduce the mental battle around sleep and make it easier to respond to wakefulness with more steadiness.
hypnotherapy for sleep
YOUR NEXT STEPS
You don’t have to figure this out at 3am. Sleep difficulties can feel especially frustrating because they often make you feel as though you should be able to solve them on your own. But once sleep has become something you are trying hard to control, the struggle can become part of what keeps the cycle going.
The free 30-minute consultation is simply a chance to talk about what has been happening, ask any questions, and find out whether working together feels like the right fit.
References
Kirsch, I., Montgomery, G. and Sapirstein, G. (1995) ‘Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy: A meta-analysis’, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63(2), pp. 214–220. view here
Ramondo, N., Gignac, G.E., Pestell, C.F. and Byrne, S.M. (2021) ‘Clinical hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive behaviour therapy: An updated meta-analysis’, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 69(2), pp. 169–202. view here
Further Reading
Kalmbach, D.A., Reffi, A.N., Fresco, D.M., Ruprich, M.K., Drake, C.L. and Ong, J.C. (2023) ‘Mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia alleviates insomnia, depression, and cognitive arousal in treatment-resistant insomnia: A single-arm telemedicine trial’, Frontiers in Sleep, 2. view here
Ruan, J., Chen, S., Liang, J., Mak, Y.W., Ho, F.Y.Y., Chung, K.F., Tong, A.K.K., Zhang, X.L. and Yeung, W.F. (2022) ‘Acceptance and commitment therapy for insomnia and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 26, pp. 139–155. view here
Paulos-Guarnieri, L., Linares, I.M.P. and El Rafihi-Ferreira, R. (2022) ‘Evidence and characteristics of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based interventions for insomnia: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized trials’, Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 23, pp. 1–14. view here
Saldaña, K.S., McGowan, S.K. and Martin, J.L. (2023) ‘ACT as an adjunct or alternative treatment to CBT for insomnia’, Sleep Medicine Clinics, 18(1), pp. 73–83. view here