Self-hypnosis for insomnia: a tool for falling back asleep
October 6, 2026 · 15 min read
Psychiatrist David Spiegel describes clinical hypnosis as a way to calm the body and return to sleep, and Huberman uses hypnosis as a deliberate rest tool in his own routine. It offers a drug-free option for people whose problem is an overactive mind at night.
The rules, numbers and steps worth keeping in front of you.
- Spiegel: if you wake in the night, don't look at the clock; it is an arousal cue.
- Spiegel: imagine your body floating somewhere safe and comfortable, such as a bath, a lake, a hot tub or space.
- Spiegel: put the worry on an imaginary screen; whatever appears, the body stays comfortable.
- Spiegel: begin with a slow exhale to promote relaxation.
- Spiegel: about a third of adults are not hypnotizable, two-thirds are, and about 15 percent are extremely so.
- Spiegel's eye-roll test: look up, slowly close your lids; mostly whites showing suggests more hypnotizable.
- Spiegel: training the trait isn't worth the effort; low scorers should use other approaches.
- Huberman: for night waking, keep lights dim and use NSDR, yoga nidra, sleep hypnosis or long-exhale breathing.
- Huberman: use the body to shift the mind; don't try to switch thoughts off.
- Huberman: behavioral protocols first, then supplements discussed with a doctor.
- Huberman: short one-minute sessions work best after practicing longer ones, so learn it in the daytime.
- Huberman: don't get anxious about sleep itself; that makes sleep harder.
- Caution: the controlled trials Spiegel cites are for pain, not sleep.
- Ongoing insomnia should be assessed by a doctor; Spiegel advises a licensed clinician trained in hypnosis.
This is the short form. The full insight has every expert's reasoning, their own words and the sources.