Everyone is asleep, someone is awake: our body uses the night to regenerate, but we consciously don’t notice anything of the diverse relaxation program. Fat is burned, the cells renew themselves, the immune system is strengthened, what we experience during the day is permanently sorted and processed in our brain. A good night’s sleep promotes mental and physical fitness and – that was our grandmother’s tip – it makes us beautiful and keeps us young. Unfortunately, the reality is different for more than 25 million people in this country. A third of all Germans struggle with problems falling asleep or sleeping through the night – women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
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feeling crushed
The statements of those affected always sound similar: They feel “broken”, “chronically tired”, have “pressure on their eyes” or are “just exhausted”. There are different reasons for lying awake: stress, trouble at work, private discussions, an illness – but beautiful events also tempt you to think circles as soon as night falls. Lack of sleep wears you down and, as a result, makes you sick. Studies have shown that 17 hours of insomnia at the wheel is equivalent to 0.5 per mille alcohol in the blood and microsleep is the leading cause of death on our freeways. In a survey by the pilots’ association “Cockpit”, half of all pilots stated that they had “nodded off unintentionally”. 90 percent stated that they had already made mistakes due to fatigue. The list of complaints that are triggered by a chronic sleep deficit is long: cardiovascular diseases, depression, back pain, severe obesity, infections… The famous sleep researcher Dr. Jürgen Zulley, Professor of BiologicalPsychology at the University of Regensburg and long-time head of the sleep medicine center, says: “Good sleep is neither a luxury nor a waste of time: it is a basic requirement for health, performance and well-being.”
Stress Free Dreams
Sleep works like a biological rhythm that sets the schedule. When it gets dark, our body releases melatonin. The hormone makes us calmer, sleepier and “dead tired” between three and five in the morning at the latest, when its level is at its highest. dr Jörg Putensen, Senior Physician at the sleep laboratory at the Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Hamburg, explains: “It is difficult to outwit your internal clock. In general, the owl shouldn’t be a baker, and the lark shouldn’t be a night watchman.” Falling asleep usually only takes a few minutes. This first phase of sleep is often accompanied by leg twitching. Because while our brain is almost ‘asleep’, the muscles in our legs remain active. Stress can exacerbate this phenomenon. Then we come into a half to one hour light sleep phase before the first deep sleep follows: It’s almost impossible to wake us up now. Now the body increasingly releases growth hormones, which are important for cell regeneration and our immune system.
sleepwalking
Sleepwalking or talking in your sleep often fall into this phase, which lasts around an hour. During the following lighter phase of sleep, in which rapid eye movements (REM: rapid eye movement) can be observed with the lids closed, we breathe faster, the heart beats faster – and we dream. The first REM phase lasts only a few minutes, and in the morning it can last over an hour. American sleep researchers have now found evidence for their motto “sleep heals all wounds”. They were able to show that our brain processes painful, emotional experiences during “dream sleep”. The experience is stored as a memory, but the feelings associated with it are severely dampened, according to the scientists in the specialist journal “Current Biology”.experiences of the day are smoothed out,” explains Matthew Walker (University of California at Berkeley). The researchers proved this when they examined the brain reactions of 35 test subjects when viewing 150 emotionally distressing images and during the subsequent sleep. “During the dream phase, we found a sharp decrease in norepinephrine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that occurs during stress,” Walker sums up. Apparently, the brain suppresses the release of this stress hormone during dream sleep. The memories of the day could be classified and saved without causing stress.
Switch off in time
We stay healthy if we manage to fall asleep easily and have many long deep sleep phases. The total sleeping time is often genetically predetermined. Anything between six and nine hours is considered normal, women sleep seven and a half hours, one hour longer than men. In order to really rest, we have to give our sleep the right space, which means using the bedroom only as such. A television should be just as taboo as anything that turns the relaxation room into a storage room. A good bed promotes sleep, which from a Feng Shui point of view should not be placed against an outside wall, a duvet that transports moisture to the outside but retains body heat, a pillow that supports the head but lets the shoulders breathe. During the day we should slow down a gear in time. The key is to reduce stress and focus on yourself and your own needs. sleep expert dr. Putensen recommends cultivated boredom: “The ritualization of sleep helps immensely.
This includes classics such as fixed bedtimes and wake-up times, even at the weekend.” Little things can have a big impact: “A glass of warm milk before going to bed. It’s not the milk that counts, but the ritual: I treat myself to something, and I associate it with sleep.” Anyone who tends to brood should schedule half an hour in the evening in which problems are noted and solutions sought. Because if these come to you between three and four o’clock at night, it is often impossible to go back to sleep. Don’t turn on the light even when you go to the toilet. This disrupts melatonin production. And the body thinks that the day is dawning. Light, non-prescription drugs can also temporarily help you fall asleepSleeping pills from the pharmacy (e.g. “Hoggar Night”). “We can control the quality of our night’s sleep ourselves,” says Dr. turkeys. “First, how does the bed look in the morning? Is it ransacked, is the laundry sweaty?
Secondly, how I feel in the morning – do I feel rested or would I like to lie down again straight away? And third: the daily state of mind. Whether we have recovered during sleep is shown by our ability to concentrate on monotonous activities.” If you have the impression that you are constantly sleeping too little, then check your actual sleep time. Sometimes memories are deceptive. Few or too short deep sleep phases can give the impression that we have lain awake. Bracelets with mini motion detectors (e.g. from Jawbone, around 80 euros) transmit the sleep phases to the smartphone. Concrete indications of the sleeping and waking rhythm can be read here. Keeping a sleep diary is just as helpful, in which you note down the times you go to bed and get up, the times you are awake and topics that come up in your dreams or when you are pondering.
Waking up together or alone?
Even if the feeling of security when waking up as a couple is wonderful: It has been proven that women sleep better and more deeply alone – without the snoring of a partner, which can reach deafening jackhammer levels of up to 95 decibels. Rotating movements, everyone changes their position up to 60 times, are also a nocturnal unrest factor. If you don’t want to give up sleeping together, you should create space: the larger the bed (at least 1.60 meters wide), the better. Natural aids such as valerian preparations (e.g.nerve rest Valerian forte) or a hot footbath with lavender oil added or rubbing warm sesame oil on the legs also have a relaxing effect and thus support sleep. In phytotherapy, passion flower extracts are used to treat sleep disorders (available in combination with oats, for example as “Neurexan”). If you lie up late at night, you should not try to make up for the lack of sleep by staying in bed until noon, but get up at the usual time. Otherwise the body gets completely out of sync. Instead, a short nap provides more energy. The Bamberg sleep doctor Prof. Dr. Göran Hajak recommends “power napping” to combat stress: “It’s important that the afternoon nap doesn’t exceed 20 minutes so that you don’t slip into a deep sleep period.” Allowing yourself to be tired in the middle of the day is therefore an opportunity to relax and not a sign of weakness… by staying in bed until noon but getting up at the usual time. Otherwise the body gets completely out of sync. Instead, a short nap provides more energy. The Bamberg sleep doctor Prof. Dr. Göran Hajak recommends “power napping” to combat stress: “It’s important that the afternoon nap doesn’t exceed 20 minutes so that you don’t slip into a deep sleep period.” Allowing yourself to be tired in the middle of the day is therefore an opportunity to relax and not a sign of weakness… by staying in bed until noon but getting up at the usual time. Otherwise the body gets completely out of sync. Instead, a short nap provides more energy. The Bamberg sleep doctor Prof. Dr. Göran Hajak recommends “power napping” to combat stress: “It’s important that the afternoon nap doesn’t exceed 20 minutes so that you don’t slip into a deep sleep period.” Allowing yourself to be tired in the middle of the day is therefore an opportunity to relax and not a sign of weakness…
Mission bed rest
When do we exercise, what do we drink or eat, and how do we relax? Sometimes it prevents and sometimes it promotes your sleep. You have the choice!
pick-me-up:
SPORT Exercising
just before bedtime? D rather not! This puts your body in a readiness to perform instead of throttling its functions.
COFFEE, COLA & CO.
These stimulants stimulate you, make your heart beat faster and raise your blood pressure. It takes a long time before you get tired again. Hands off in the evening!
WATCH
TV Don’t watch TV until you nod off. Light sleep and bad dreams are the punishment: too many stimuli have to be processed.
AMBIENT NOISE
If mumbling or hissing has a calming effect, e.g. B. aircraft noise or snoring the production of stress hormones.
SWEETS
Sugar raises blood sugar levels and stimulates insulin production. Not only does this wake you up at night, it also turns sugar into fat. And then lack of sleep leads to food cravings.
tiremaker
EARLY SPORT
Not after 8 p.m., please be active before then. Because if you work out during the day, you will be pleasantly tired in the evening.
BATHING RITUAL
Treat yourself to a relaxing full bath (e.g. with added lavender oil). But not too hot! Relax between 5 and 20 minutes at a maximum of 38 degrees before 9 p.m.
DARK
The biorhythm reacts to light. Completely darken the bedroom for a deep sleep. It’s best to pull all the plugs.
MEDITATION Before falling asleep
, concentrate on the essentials: your breathing. Quiet your mind, perhaps with a meditation CD.
NATURAPOTHEKE
Passion flower leaves are used for sleep disorders. Ready-made preparations (e.g. “Pascoflair” or “Lioran”) work well, as do teas with passion flower and Bach flower essences (e.g. “Rest and Serenity” from Salus).
Practice first, then sleep
PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION
With deep muscle relaxation according to Edmund Jacobson, the conscious contraction and relaxation of certain muscle groups is trained. On the websites of some health insurance companies (e.g. www.tk.de) PME courses are available for download in MP3 format.
YOGA
Gently flowing movements help you switch off, because the concentration is on the correct execution of the respective positions. Particularly suitable for relaxation: Hatha yoga is supported by many statutory health insurance companies with around 70 euros per year.
AUTOGENIC TRAINING Relaxes
the muscles, calms the circulation, increases the ability to concentrate and gives you the security of being able to influence your body with your own thoughts. (“Autogenic Training”, D. Grasberger, GU, 80 pages + CD, 16.99 euros)
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT
If psychological problems arise from sleep disorders and nervousness, fear or insecurity reduce the quality of life, it is advisable to consult a psychologist who specializes in sleep deficits. As part of behavioral therapy, old, learned patterns can be exchanged for new, positive ones.
Don’t worry about the slumber
Three experts explain in surprisingly different ways what helps us get a good night’s sleep.
The sleep doctor“Mostly, behavioral changes help”
vital: What sleep disorders do patients come to you with?
dr medical Samia Little Elk: Mainly problems sleeping through the night. Or the patients complain about uncomfortable sleep: They sleep for a sufficient length of time, at least six to eight hours, but feel exhausted during the day. Among other things, the cause can be breathing disorders at night, such as those that occur with snoring.
In your experience, what are the most common “sins”?
Alcohol makes you tired – it backfires: although it initially makes you tired and you fall asleep more easily, alcohol reduces the deep and dream sleep phases. And they are necessary for a good, healthy sleep.
What medications do you prescribe to your patients?
I always try non-drug treatment first. Because in my experience, behavior changes help in most cases.
What do you recommendTolfioow readers?
Sleeping rituals, which we give children as a matter of course, also help adults. Radio plays or lullaby music distract from brooding.
The Internist”Learn a Relaxation Technique”
vital: What sleep disorders do patients come to you with?
dr medical Karsten Koop: The most common problems are falling asleep and sleeping through the night. There is often a so-called organ-clock relationship: waking times in the middle of the night are assigned to specific organs. For example, four o’clock is related to the liver.
In your experience, what are the most common “sins”?
Not paying attention to the fact that the day calms down – especially towards the evening hours. Reading, a hot bath, a conversation with your partner or friends provide mental distance to everyday work. The bedroom should be a quiet place, without TV and cell phone.
What medications do you prescribe to your patients?
I have had good experiences with natural remedies in my practice. I recommend lavender oil or a lavender bag under the pillow, valerian root, sleeping teas. Or patches for the forehead that stimulate acupuncture points favorable for sleep.
What do you recommendTolfioow readers?
Learn a relaxation technique, whether it’s yoga, meditation or autogenic training.
The naturopath “Take the pressure out of your life”
vital: What sleep disorders do patients come to you with?
Ricarda Schenkel: On the one hand with circling thoughts that keep you from falling asleep or staying asleep. On the other hand, with sleep disorders due to a loss of rhythm, for example due to shift work or menopause.
In your experience, what are the most common “sins”?
That is very individual. Watching TV stimulates some people, while it puts them to sleep. The same applies to the enjoyment of wine, coffee or a meal late in the evening. Everyone should find out for themselves and adapt their habits.
What medications do you prescribe to your patients?
Spagyric, an ancient healing method from alchemy, as well as psychotherapy and relaxation methods. In addition, I advise in the direction of movement. On a physical level, it increases metabolism and stimulates organ function, and on a mental level it helps to let go of thoughts.
What do you recommendTolfioow readers?
Take the pressure out of your life. And set aside time for yourself in your schedule.
