Therapeutic sleep coaching to help with sleep disorders

Sleep disorders are not uncommon

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) more than ten percent of all adults in Germany suffer from sleep disorders. They feel their sleep often or even permanently as not restful. This is not only unpleasant, but can also have health consequences. Those affected have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, writes the German Medical Weekly Journal (DMW). A South German insurance company is now offering a care program designed to help their clients deal with sleep disorders.

The trainer for falling asleep

Specially trained sleep coaches are designed to help clients with chronic or complex sleep disorders find the source of the disorder. The coaches coordinate examinations and therapies and, if necessary, pass on the affected persons to other subject matter experts. The sleep coaches use modern technical aids such as apps, sleep trackers, online coaching or mobile sleep laboratories. "Thanks to this efficient procedure, we gain important time in the treatment and save those affected long hospital stays," reports Benno Schmeing, Member of the Board of the South German Health Insurance (SDK).

Over 10 percent of Germans suffer from serious sleep disorders. Can specially trained sleep coaches help? (Image: Dan Race / fotolia.com)

How does the body react to sleep disorders??

People with normal sleep experience lower blood pressure and heart rate at night. When there is a sleep disorder, blood pressure and heart rate remain high and there is an increased risk of vascular calcification or arteriosclerosis. This can lead to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. Another harmful factor in lack of sleep is the disturbed degradation of the stress hormone cortisol. If the cortisol level is permanently elevated, it can have negative effects on the cardiovascular system and immune system.

Sleep apnea - another health risk factor

Many people have difficulty sleeping due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Narrowed airways, often a result of obesity, make it difficult to deliver air to the lungs. The brain sends the impulse to breathe, but muscle power is not enough to get enough air through the constriction. The consequences are breathing pauses, which lower the oxygen content of the blood and the brain. The affected person responds with more energetic breathing, often accompanied by loud snoring sounds. Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia and heart attack.

Causes of sleep disorders

The causes of sleep disorders are many. Around 80 different sleep complaints are known in sleep research. Mental complaints and stress are the most common causes of sleep disorders, followed by pain and noise. When it comes to stress, stress at work or worries about the workplace are the primary cause of sleep disorders. "If simple measures are not enough, especially if the causes of sleep disorders are not known, then those affected should seek professional support," says Benno Schmeing, board member of the SDK.

Note sleep hygiene

Professor med. Christoph Bamberger, Director of the Medical Prevention Center Hamburg, recommends the positive effects of good sleep hygiene in his guidebook "The Lucky Coach - A Sleep Miracle". These include, among other things, after 15 o'clock no caffeine, to banish electronic devices from the bedroom, to maintain a room temperature between 15 and 20 degrees Cesius, do not play sports before going to sleep and no longer with professional issues before going to bed too busy. According to Bamberger, 80 percent of people sleep better if they stick to good sleep hygiene. (Fp)