The three approaches side by side
Self-hypnosis1, 2, 3, 7
- What you do
- Follow a voice and rest your attention on one image or point until you feel relaxed and focused.
- Good when
- Your mind races and silence makes it louder.
- Research so far
- A 70 person nap study found more deep sleep after a hypnotic suggestion. A follow up found the reverse in people who respond weakly. A 2022 review of 25 insomnia studies called the research lacking.
- Take care
- The NHS says hypnotherapy may not be safe with schizophrenia, a history of psychosis or epilepsy.
Meditation4
- What you do
- Pay steady attention to your breath, body or sounds, and gently return when your mind wanders.
- Good when
- You are happy to practise regularly, in the day as well as at night.
- Research so far
- In a 2015 trial of 49 older adults with moderate sleep problems, a six week mindfulness course improved sleep quality more than sleep hygiene education.
- Take care
- That course was 2 hours a week with homework, and it studied one group, so it will not tell you how it goes for everyone.
Sleep sounds5
- What you do
- Play steady sounds such as rain or brown noise to soften the room.
- Good when
- Noise wakes you, or a silent room feels uncomfortable.
- Research so far
- A 2021 review of 38 studies rated the evidence that continuous noise improves sleep as very low. Results ran from helpful to disruptive.
- Take care
- The review says continuous noise may also harm sleep and hearing, a good reason to keep the volume low and use a fade out timer.
The NHS lists meditation, breathing exercises and calming music among the things you could try to relax before bed, and background sounds such as rainfall, gentle music or white noise among the ways to make a bedroom comfortable.6
How to choose
- Your mind races when the lights go out: start with something to follow, a self-hypnosis recording or a guided meditation.
- Noise wakes you or the quiet is uncomfortable: try steady sounds, low, with a timer.
- You want something for stressful days as well as nights: meditation or slow breathing, practised regularly.
- You are not sure: try each for three nights in a row, in the same quiet, dark room, and keep the one that leaves you most relaxed.
The studies above each tested one approach on its own, so they cannot tell you which is best. People respond differently, which is why a short trial of your own is the practical test.
They are not rivals
Many people use a voice and a soundscape together. That is how Trance is built: a narrated session over a soundscape that fades out on a timer. If you would rather have no voice at all, Stillow offers slow breathing with a pacing ring and a mixer of soundscapes.
What none of them is
Not a treatment for sleep problems
These are relaxation approaches. The NHS says insomnia usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits, and advises seeing a GP if that has not helped, you have had trouble sleeping for months, or it affects your daily life. A GP may offer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).8