Sleep aids can help with sleep disorders

Sleep Aids: Something else helps everyone with sleep disorders

09/07/2014

Many people are familiar with the problem: just as tired as a dog, but hardly in bed, you roll back and forth sleeplessly. Often sufferers resort to medication, but usually help simple home remedies to come to rest.

Sleepless nights are the rule for many Germans
Sleep disorders are a widespread phenomenon. Sleepless nights are the rule in around 20 percent of Germans: they suffer from an insomnia and insomnia or insomnia. It is the most common type of sleep disorder. „From a medical point of view, it is called insomnia if, over a period of more than one month, someone has problems falling asleep and staying asleep at least three times a week and is suffering from it or is impaired in everyday life“, said the Director of the Department of Sleep Medicine and Neuromuscular Diseases at the University of Münster, Peter Young, according to a dpa message.

Get a grip on problems yourself
Sleep disorders can result in chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, loss of performance, increased risk of accidents and depression. In any case, the first step is to try to get the problems under control. In addition to a healthy lifestyle, certain rules of conduct, such as avoiding heavy eating in the evening, can help. There are also some home remedies. „They can certainly do something. However, they do not do it for everyone, and there are some that need to be handled wisely or controversial“, explained Helene Schwarz from the self-help group Ein- and Durchschlafstörungen in the Palatine Clinic Klingenmünster in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Herbal natural remedies instead of medicines
Many sufferers quickly resort to sleeping pills or sedatives, but these can lead to dependence and also cause side effects such as headache or nausea. Patients should prefer to rely on proven home remedies or natural herbal remedies. For example, a calming tea made of passionflower has proven to be effective, as it acts as a natural remedy for anxiety, inner restlessness and worry „sedative“. Chamomile tea also has a relaxing effect on the body and mind and can relieve tension.

Regular nightcap can be addictive
Alcohol is one of the most popular sleep aids. Although this may be sleep-inducing, as it relaxes the central nervous system, it should, if at all, remain in small quantities such as a glass of beer or wine. „When more is consumed, sleep is not restorative because the body breaks down alcohol instead of resting“, said Jürgen Zulley, Professor of Biological Psychology at the University of Regensburg. „At the same time, the regulation of deep and dream phases gets confused and sweats, palpitations and repeated awakenings can occur.“ In addition, the daily nightcap can creep addictively.

Relaxation techniques can make it easier to fall asleep
While some people rely on soothing foods, others try to relax with the help of relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, meditation, yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation. Because these methods reduce stress, they can improve sleep ability. The head of the Sleep Medicine Center at the Charité in Berlin, Ingo Fietze, however, says: „However, the fact is that while they make it easier to fall asleep, but often can not help against sleep disorders, as they do not affect the course of sleep.“ However, conscious relaxation must be trained and does not work for everyone.

Sport as a sleep aid
Sport, on the other hand, is a sleep aid that works without inner peace. „Exercise makes you tired and often makes you sleep better“, so Fietze. It also helps reduce stress. However, it should be noted that this cycle and metabolism are activated and you fall asleep badly in this state. „Therefore, you should not exhaust yourself in the evening, but intensive training during the day to complete, so that the organism has time to shut down.“ For those who want to move in the hours before bed, it makes sense to take a walk.

Music for slumbering
Some sleep seekers consider music as a real secret weapon. As is often the case with babies with lullabies, they can actually relax and lull us to sleep. „But that's only true if it's not too loud, and it's soft sounds that you find pleasing“, said sleep researcher Zulley. Classical and lounge music are best suited for getting away. Furthermore, there are sleep CDs, which contain music other than music sometimes only relaxing sounds such as sea noise. The television, however, is only conditionally suitable as a sleeping aid. „It is ok to sit in the evening to relax in front of the screen. But you should not look at anything that upsets you, because otherwise you might sleep badly“, so young. (Ad)