traumatized people suffer from sleep problems. Lack of sleep in shown that a muscle that has been completely tensed and is itself can cause irritability and concentration and memory then relaxed has a lower degree of tension than before. This problems and thereby intensify a client’s other post-traumatic affects nervous system activity, which then regulates the stress stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The project’s objectives level and the condition of wakefulness. Each participant carried were to reduce the high level of nervous system activity and to out the same exercises in the group and at home while listening improve sleep quality. Group therapy was used, with the aid of to a special CD. Instructions were in Danish and Arabic for the an interpreter. Two groups completed the course of treatment. men and in Serbo-Croatian for the women. The men also went The first group consisted of five Arab men who were through a training program for headache relief twice. The already under treatment at OASIS. They met eight times for women’s group received training to relieve tension in the lower two hours once a week. The second group consisted of five back, shoulders, and neck. Several participants fell asleep dur- women—four Arab and one Bosnian. They met ten times for ing body therapy instruction. They said later that they would two and a half hours once a week. In addition to group thera- otherwise never do that with people outside their family.
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Hemi-Sync® Journal 2005-3&4 (Summer/Fall) · 1 Hemi-Sync Journal 2005-3&4 Summer-Fall.pdf
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py, each individual was interviewed to ascertain his or her sleep pattern. After completion of the group process, we met with Theory each participant again to compare and evaluate sleep patterns Participants were made more conscious of external factors before and after treatment. that negatively influence sleep: ingesting coffee, tea, alcohol, or tobacco before going to bed and watching nightly news pro- Sleep theory grams. Sleep hygiene, sleep-awake rhythm, and the connection It is very important for a traumatized person to know that between bed and sleep and its influence on sleep quality were the number of hours of sleep required during a twenty-four- addressed. In addition, we discussed trauma’s consequences and v HEMI-SYNC® JOURNAL significance in a person’s life. however, she began listening to the whole CD. For the women who listened to the CD, the time necessary to fall asleep Results became shorter and the time it took to fall asleep after waking Three out of five participants in both groups fell asleep up during the night was also shorter. Some had better dreams. more quickly after the group process than before. Using a scale We think the effect of binaural-beat sound is intriguing and from one to ten, individual participants’ evaluations of the worth further investigation. importance of sleeping problems in their lives indicated improvement. This created hope that something could be “Conflict-free imagery”
“moved.” The participants were asked to find or create a conflict-free The three participants in each group with the strongest or peaceful image that resonated through all of their senses. personalities profited most from the group process. Personality The “peaceful” image was not used systematically. Originally, it traits were greater determinants of how traumatic effects were was to be used during the day when the participant felt preoc- managed than the number of traumas or the degree of violence. cupied or afraid, as well as before falling asleep and after The two participants in each group with less intact person- Sleeping through the Rain as a pleasant way to fall asleep. The ality structures were often out of contact, late for appointments, three participants who used conflict-free imagery achieved the and absent without notification. Some of the women broke the desired effect of relaxation. It would be interesting to combine new rhythm they had learned because of pain and acute illness. the Hemi-Sync music CD with the conflict-free imagery and We emphasized the importance of starting again as soon as the to study whether there is a greater calming effect on the ner- pain lessened. vous system. The men’s interpreter was positively surprised that Arab men could talk together so well and be in the same room deal- Conclusions ing with something as personal as sleep problems. He surmised To draw generally applicable conclusions would demand