Old truism Sick, fat and stupid due to lack of sleep

Health problems due to lack of sleep: Music therapy can help
Health experts say that every second adult suffers from sleep problems. Even children and adolescents are increasingly affected. Lack of sleep can be associated with serious health problems. A music therapy can help and provide a better night's sleep.

Lack of sleep can have serious consequences
More and more people suffer from chronic sleep deprivation. According to experts, every second adult often has problems falling asleep or staying asleep. Many children and adolescents also suffer from permanent sleep deprivation. The causes can be diverse, the effects serious. Among other things, the immune system, the hormone balance, the performance or the psyche can be attacked. According to researchers from Paracelsus University Salzburg, music therapy can help.

Lack of sleep allegedly makes you "sick, fat and stupid". A music therapy can provide better sleep. (Image: Jeanette Dietl / fotolia.com)

Increased risk for many diseases
Various scientific studies have shown that lack of sleep not only leads to chronic fatigue, but also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke. In addition, a study by scientists at the University of California at San Francisco showed that those who sleep less often catch cold more often. Like the sleep psychologist and author Prof. Dr. med. Günther W. Amann-Jennson explained in a message from the news agency APA, there are more than 100 forms of sleep disorders, which may be the cause of civilization diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's or diabetes.

Various triggers for bad sleep
Among other things, triggers for bad sleep could be stress, internistic problems such as high blood pressure, depression or heart or lung diseases. "The popular saying is that too little sleep makes you sick, fat and stupid. As so often, this truism has a true core, "said the president of the Society for Psychosomatic Medicine, Heidemarie Abrahamian. According to this, people who sleep too little risk risking dysfunction, memory problems and infections or gaining weight. Researchers have now also found out why lack of sleep makes us people hungry and therefore often leads to obesity. Apparently a cannabis-like substance is responsible for the weakening self-control.

Simple home remedies for sleep problems
If the disorders are not chronic but acute, herbal home remedies can help with sleep disorders like lavender. Valerian also helps with sleep problems. As Abrahamian pointed out, it is important to treat sleep disorders and try to get to the bottom of the cause. According to experts, protocol can help those affected to find the possible triggers. The expert advises against sleeping pills except in exceptional cases. These are not recommended because they only alleviate symptoms, without tackling the root cause of the problem and also have a high addictive potential. It would be important to see sleep disorders as an "entire disease" and not "treating them as a symptom".

Music therapy can help sufferers
One way that can help those affected is a music therapy. As Vera Brandes, director of the research program Music Medicine of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, said at a press conference on Tuesday in Vienna, the positive effect of music on the human body has been proven in numerous studies over the last 20 years. Listening to music helps to reduce stress and accumulated emotions, strengthen the immune system and promote hormonal balance. Music therapy is thereby particularly suitable for the treatment of sleep disorders. It is said that a sound pillow, which is connected to a special player, should enable the stimulation by the music during sleep. According to the expert, the therapy is intended to help through its relaxing effect to deeper sleep, which stimulates the regenerative power of the body and psyche. (Ad)