[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak|remove link|no_popup[/img]A new client called to ask if I could help her with her insomnia. She had seen another hypnotist for three sessions but something was “not quite right.” She was not connecting with him.
A 37-year-old native of Panama, she has come to Hollywood to be an actress, with, so far, minor success. Besides insomnia, she suffers from panic and anxiety. Valium was prescribed by her psychiatrist back in Panama. He concluded her insomnia and panic and anxiety stemmed from guilt associated with loving her father too much. Forgive me, but I do not understand why a competent psychiatrist would say that. She is not sexually involved with her father, but loves him as a daughter would a father who always had been there for her. Her father has helped her, when able, through her life by offering moral support and money when asked.
Dinner for Two at 2
Her husband has a swing shift position. She gets up and cooks dinner for him when he comes home from work at 2 a.m. She does not mind doing this because it enables her to spend time with him. If she were able to sleep, her late night cooking would not interfere with her daily schedule. The only inconvenience is when she has a 9 a.m. audition. Then it is difficult because she will be up until 4 or 5 with her husband. I asked about her diet. She was surprised because no one had ever asked. It was low in protein and high in carbohydrates. As an actress she wants to look young and thin, so she limits what she eats.
There are several proven methods for curing insomnia – drinking warm milk before bedtime, a long, relaxing warm bath, not watching light-hearted entertainment instead of the news before bed, reading until tired, using a repetitive mantra or creating a new pre-sleep routine. All are effective tools but they would come to nothing unless the major diet issue is addressed.
Why a Diet Is Crucial
A diet low in protein and high in carbohydrates will cause blood sugar levels to swing wildly from low to high. When our blood sugar levels are low, our ability to think is severely impacted. We are unable to think from our higher functioning critical thinking levels, only from our primitive survival mechanisms. We are constantly in a fight or flight mode. Our brains become hypersensitive to anything happening around us. It remains hyper alert when we are alone. This means the brain, which uses sugar to function, is not receiving what it needs to function effectively. Consequently, it remains hyper vigilant in its quest to find more nourishment, and so we are unable to sleep.
This was the issue for my client. Her psychiatrist did not catch this, and her previous hypnotist didn’t, either. When we eat protein and reduce our carbohydrate intake, our blood sugar levels rise more slowly, do not go as high and dip lower more slowly. By eating protein every two hours, the blood sugar becomes stabilized with few if any wildly fluctuating levels.
If I were to draw a chart of blood sugar levels, a person who eats no protein but only carbohydrates would have a line that goes wildly up and down. On a heart monitor, it would look like a heart attack. A person who eats protein would show gentle rhythmic curves, which is what we want – blood sugar levels kept even, never too high or low.
This way the brain can function from its higher critical thinking levels. Once this has been accomplished, the subconscious understands that the nutrition is stable and the brain is working as it should. Nervousness, anxiety, shaking, sweating and heart palpitations begin to ease and finally disappear. The person feels calmer, thinks more clearly and is able to sleep through the night.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net