Hi wonderful Hypno-moms – please read this post since it has some excellent Q&A about “Falling Asleep while listening to Hypnobabies hypnosis tracks”! (and you can read some comments from actual Hypnobabies moms below)
Q: My Hypnobabies course says it is best to “stay awake” but I keep falling asleep when I listen to my hypnosis tracks and I don’t know what is on them so I don’t feel confident about what I am learning. I feel like I may not be retaining the information and the hypnosis training on my Hypnobabies tracks. What can I do?
A: Here’s some great information for you:
1: You may not be asleep at all – you may have entered a very deep state of hypnosis that can cause Hypno-amnesia, which is *extremely* common since Hypnobabies uses somnambulistic hypnosis. In this deep state, your conscious mind “takes a break”, and the hypnosis suggestions become absorbed by your inner mind. You are retaining it all!
2: For those who do fall asleep – doing so is actually fine when you are listening to your Hypnobabies tracks since even when you are asleep, your subconscious mind is absorbing and accepting the hypnosis suggestions. Sometimes it accepts them even *more* than when you’re awake since it doesn’t have the critical conscious mind in its way! Many Hypnobabies moms never hear their hypnosis tracks consciously due to Hypno-amnesia or falling asleep, but they have had wonderful, much easier, joyful Hypnobabies births because they *kept listening* to their hypnosis tracks as directed in their Hypnobabies course. We have thousands of excellent birth stories from these moms!
3: Hypnobabies does say that it is best for you to stay awake when listening to your hypnosis tracks, but not from a hypnosis standpoint: from a confidence standpoint. If you remain awake when listening to your Hypnobabies hypnosis tracks, you will hear what is on them and may feel a bit more confident about what you are learning, however, regarding your hypnosis being absorbed and assimilated – it *will* continue to do so even if you fall asleep when listening. ***Make sure that you are only listening to the hypnosis tracks that you are supposed to for each week – make separate playlists for each week so that you don’t fall asleep listening to “Deepening Your Hypnosis” and wake up listening to “Easy First Stage”! Your Hypnobabies “birthing” tracks cannot be listened to before 39 weeks of pregnancy.***
Q: I really want to know what is on my Hypnobabies hypnosis tracks and no matter when I listen to them, I fall asleep, so what can I do to stay awake?
A: Here are some ideas for staying awake while listening:
* Listening to your Hypnobabies hypnosis tracks in various places each time will help, and as you become more experienced at hypnosis, you will be able to enjoy your Hypnobabies practice anywhere, which is also good practice for your Birthing Time. Your bed, sofa, a soft chair with pillows, sitting on a birth ball, different rooms and positions are all places/ways that you may choose to practice your Hypnobabies audio tracks and techniques. You can choose to listen in a more upright, “less comfortable” (but fully supported) position than you have been used to as well.
* Listening to your hypnosis tracks at different times each day can also help; some moms wake up 45 minutes early in the morning to listen, or take a break when the kids nap, or they listen right after dinner when someone else can watch their other children, etc.
* It’s also helpful to listen to your Hypnobabies hypnosis tracks in the morning when you have been up and around for a while but *before* eating breakfast so that you’ll be hungry. Or just before lunch for the same reason.
Here is an idea for listening without hearing the hypnotic induction so that you can remain more alert and hear what is on your Hypnobabies tracks:
When you begin a new audio track (which you will do once a week during your Hypnobabies course), listen to it this way first (ONCE ONLY) – Fast forward through the lead-in, which is the part where you are guided deeply into hypnosis. When the actual hypnotic suggestions begin, generally after the hypnotic deepening suggestions such as counting backwards, you can listen to the rest of your hypnosis track while doing something quiet such as preparing food or dusting. (NEVER while driving!)
You’ll be able to learn what is on that Hypnobabies hypnosis track, and then, even if you do fall asleep during the times when you are listening regularly to the full audio track in a fully supported position, you’ll have this conscious knowledge, and you may feel more confident in knowing and using your hypnosis cues later.
If you don’t have the ability to fast forward through the lead-in, just listen to the entire track while doing something casual like dusting furniture or other cleaning, etc. (NEVER while driving!) Just avoid getting into a relaxing, fully supported position (so you won’t fall asleep) and disregard all the hypnosis-deepening suggestions (such as counting backwards, etc.). Make sure you are not doing anything that requires your full and complete attention, like operating machinery, etc.
Q: How is it OK if I fall asleep while listening to my Hypnobabies tracks, since I will definitely not be sleeping during my Birthing Time?
A: Good news! Your Hypnobabies Training stage (what you are doing now by listening to your hypnosis tracks on a schedule and practicing your Finger-drop techniques) is completely different than the use of your Hypnobabies cues and techniques during your Birthing Time. Training is “programming time” and can be done while sleeping if that is necessary. In your Birthing Time, you are simply “activating” the hypnosis you programmed in while Training!
Need more information and support? Join our Hypnobabies Support Group! (for expectant mothers)
Comments from Hypno-moms: We asked our Hypnobabies moms: How many of you “slept” through much of your Hypnobabies *practice* hypnosis tracks and still had a fantastic Birthing Time?
Lilly G: I slept through most of my hypnosis tracks while I was practicing my Hypnobabies, and still had an awesome med-free birth in November! Totally going to use Hypnobabies again when we have another baby!
Kristi M: I would “sleep” through some of my tracks too during the practicing part. It made me a bit leery of the effectiveness come birthing day. But everything was fine! When the day actually came, I was in denial that it was actually THE day! I kept waiting for it to get harder for me to focus on like with my first birth. Once my midwife arrived, it was only three hours later that I was pushing my daughter out into my husband’s/her Daddy’s arms!
Brittany C: I used my tracks to help me get to sleep at night when I was pregnant. It was so much easier to fall asleep while listening to them than without! I figure if I was relaxing well enough to fall asleep so quickly, I must have been doing something right! And I was able to use the techniques to have a wonderful birth.
Cassie F: I fell asleep every time I listened to one of my Hypnobabies practice tracks. At first I was worried about it and kept teasing about how I was really awesome at deep hypnosis since I was sooo out, and then I decided to just believe the Hypnobabies instructions that I may think I’ve fallen asleep but in actuality it was hypnosis. Sure enough, I had an amazing Birthing Time.
Angel M: Not only did I fall “asleep” when I laid down to listen to my Hypnobabies practice tracks, during the day, I actually used it as a natural way to get myself to sleep during those last few months, it was so soothing. I was afraid it wouldn’t work when I needed it. I ended up with a posterior baby, an 8 lb. 10 oz. posterior baby (!!!), and it worked AMAZINGLY!!! I can’t recommend Hypnobabies enough! Be assured, it will work. Just stay positive!
Kim B: I fell asleep many nights while I was pregnant listening to my hypnosis tracks. I was worried that it wouldn’t “work” when it was time, but I had a wonderful med free birthing experience!!
Lauren B: I “fell asleep” to my practice tracks every night, but always woke up for the count up at the end. I most definitely used my Hypnobabies training to have a med free, and almost pain free hospital birth.
Becky B: Yup, fell asleep tons while I was pregnant and practicing, and had a great Hypnobabies birth. Was able to sleep in-between birthing waves as well, so I was able to not fatigue too early during a slower birthing time. Perfect birth! Drug and intervention free!
Sigrid C: Once, I “fell asleep” listening to my hypnosis practice tracks, but was able to completely wake up and be alert when I heard noises in the house—yep, I caught a burglar in our house when I was 39.5 weeks pregnant! Hypnobabies helped me keep calm and relaxed in an otherwise terrifying situation! I knew then that I had been in hypnosis and not really asleep. I went on to have an amazing unmedicated VBAC a week later to an almost 10 lb. baby. Hypnobabies works!
Stephanie A: I fell asleep every time that I listened to a hypnosis track during practice, then one time I managed to stay awake and I was shocked to realize that I knew the entire audio track. I could almost repeat it word for word. I couldn’t believe it! Just enjoy the relaxation and be confident you’re taking in what you need to.
Angel U: I feel asleep 75% of the time during the practice hypnosis tracks. At first I was concerned but later realized that it was normal and a good thing. I was SO relaxed and knew that this is exactly what I wanted my mind and body to be during my Birthing Time. I was extremely relaxed during my first phase allowing me to dilate quickly at home and arrive to the hospital 9 cm dilated. Three hours later I became a mommy. Best birthing ever and I believe it had everything to do with the Hypnobabies course. My advice is to listen to your tracks as much as possible before your Birthing Time. It works!!!
Kristin M: I fell asleep every time. I didn’t get to have a vaginal birth, but I stayed calm and had a happy experience regardless.
Kristen J: Yes, yes, yes!! As I practiced, I fell asleep listening to the Deepening one in particular as well as the others. I did make sure to listen to them each one time while doing something else just to have them on a conscious level as well. I walked into the hospital with our 2nd baby at 9 cms, +2 station and 100% effaced and the midwife missed our 3rd baby’s birth by five minutes!
Amanda W: I fell asleep quite often while listening to the practice tracks. I was worried that I wasn’t getting enough practice, but when the birth came, I had a natural, comfortable, fun birth! Even now, I use Hypnobabies techniques to help me fall asleep.
Gretchen O: That’s funny. I was just talking to my sister about this. I think it’s the best! I had a fantastic birth experience and I fell asleep listening to my hypnosis when I was still pregnant more times than I can remember. So relaxing …
Candace E: Oh man, I totally “slept” through almost every Hypnobabies practice track I listened to!! But I absolutely had an amazing birth, so I KNOW my subconscious was taking it all in! I just made sure and listened to each track when I was awake (making dinner or taking a shower, etc.) so that I also knew everything that was said on a conscious level as well.
Jamie W: I did! My son’s birth was amazing too! It really taught me how powerful my mind is, and helped me learn to deeply relax. Plus, it was the best kind of “nap” I’ve ever had! I still use hypnosis to fall asleep if I need to because I know it works in establishing deep relaxation.
