Hypnotic suggestions in the modulation of sleep.

Sleep is vital for physical and mental health and plays an important role in general well-being. Given the high prevalence of sleep disturbances in contemporary society, developing effective sleep-enhancing interventions, including non-pharmacological approaches such as hypnosis, is important. In this chapter, we will first discuss the nature of sleep and the factors that can disturb it. We will present scientific evidence on how hypnotherapy can improve sleep parameters and disturbances. This will be followed by the presentation of experimental studies highlighting the potential of hypnotic suggestions to modulate objective parameters of sleep depth. In conclusion, we will hypothesise on a potential mechanism by which hypnotic suggestions might be capable of modulating sleep.