Sleep through the night and start the day refreshed
This new series is aimed at poor sleepers, insomniacs and daytime sleepyheads. We want to help you finally sleep through the night again and wake up refreshed in the morning. Being fit and well-rested – who doesn’t wish for that? Our series consists of 3 parts, which we hope will offer you new perspectives and assistance. Because we want to encourage you to become a co-creator of your health.
Our sleep is still not 100 percent researched and understood. Sleep onset and sleep maintenance disorders, sheep apnea, snoring, restless legs and other reasons for poor sleep are on the rise. Good sleep has become an issue for society as a whole – impacting our personal lives, careers, national economies and, most importantly, our health.
Why is sleep so important?
Here are just a few examples:
- Sleep provides space for the body’s self-healing processes
- Hormones take care of bone and muscle formation
- The skin regenerates and rejuvenates (keyword beauty sleep)
- What has been learned is anchored in the brain, what has been experienced is processed
- The body repairs damaged cells
- The immune system can work undisturbed
- Brain and nervous system create and expand neuronal networks
Sleep disorders, on the other hand, make people unfocused, listless, grumpy – and ill in the long run. That’s why doctors consider sleep disorders to be a disease in their own right.
When are sleep disorders pathological?
Poor sleep is only a problem if it bothers you at least three days a week for at least three weeks.
- Insomnia: long period of falling asleep and/or frequent awakenings.
- Hypersomnia: sleeping for long periods without resting
- Loud snoring, breathing pauses
- Non-restorative sleep
- Exhaustion during the day such as daytime sleepiness or microsleep
The causes of insomnia are very different – therefore the treatment is also individual, so that you can get your sleep problems back under control. If, for example, stress is behind the complaints, herbal preparations, relaxation methods, psychotherapy and/or the non-intoxicating cannabinoid CBD can provide relief. But if you suffer from sleep apnea, you should seek advice on a breathing mask.
Get medical advice to determine if any of the above (pathological sleep disorder) applies to you. Our information can supplement, but not replace, a visit to the doctor’s office.
In the next part of our little sleep guide, you will learn how much sleep is necessary and how our days determine our nights.
Sources:
Dr. Michael Feld: Dr. Felds große Schlafschule, 2018
Stiftung Gesundheitswissen https://www.stiftung-gesundheitswissen.de/wissen/insomnie/hintergrund, Stand: 03. Januar 2023
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin e.V. (DGSM) https://www.dgsm.de/fileadmin/patienteninformationen/ratgeber_schlafstoerungen/2021-09-21_Ein-_und_Durchschlafstoerungen.pdf, Stand: 03. Januar 2023