You have problems falling asleep or sleeping disorders? Then you're one of many.
It is estimated that 25 percent suffer from insomnia and half of them can only treat these problems effectively with professional help.
I would like to give you a few tips for falling asleep and against sleep disturbances, so that you can concentrate again on the essential things in life.
A healthy sleep promotes concentration, self-confidence, motivation, health and consequently helps you to be more successful in life.
1. if you can't fall asleep, find something to do
If you lie in bed for 20 minutes or longer and just can't fall asleep, then get out of bed. Find a relaxing activity such as listening to music, reading a book or a few easy yoga exercises. This can help you to give your body that certain relaxation and then fall asleep faster.If you were to stay in bed, turn back and forth, shoot thousands of thoughts through your head and get angry in the end that you can't fall asleep, then feelings of stress would arise. You're in a cycle that won't let you sleep.
2. respect your biorhythm - How important is light for my rhythm?
As darkness sets in, the body increases the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. This hormone controls the day-night rhythm of the human body.
In winter, when daylight is rare, melatonin levels remain elevated even during the day. As a result, fatigue, sleep disturbances and winter depressions can occur.
That is why it is particularly important to fill up with plenty of daylight, especially in winter. I recommend you to go outside for at least 20 minutes a day and to be active in the open air.
Natural light helps you to stabilize the sleep-wake rhythm and promotes the release of serotonin. Among other things, this hormone gives us a feeling of calmness, inner peace and satisfaction.Note: Even on grey, dark days, daylight is far more effective than any artificial room lighting. But if you suffer from severe tiredness during the day, despite lots of outdoor activities, I recommend a light therapy as an alternative.
Light therapy is a method recognized by scientific medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as sleep disorders and depression.
3. meditation & yoga
If you suffer from nervousness and restlessness in everyday life and especially before going to bed, meditation can be very helpful in combating your problems falling asleep and sleep disorders.
Unlike sleeping pills, meditation or yoga exercises require patience and time until your body and mind have calmed down and become successful.
But a meditation can do much more than just a pill and has one big advantage: The stress in everyday life can be reduced and in the long term tensions in life can be reduced with the right techniques.
So that you can be successful with it, I advise you a competent instruction, because you cannot learn some methods simply.
Some methods are maybe covered by the health insurance. Check this out.
4. Don't look at your watch all the time.
Just by looking at your watch, you increase your stress and anxiety - this will further support your insomnia. It's best to turn all the clocks around and if you have a ticking clock, remove it. You better listen to your inner clock.
If you find that you are under time stress, need to fall asleep quickly because you have to get up early tomorrow, to work, then think about your time management. Set priorities, make clear decisions, say "No" so you can give YOUR life time again.
5. alcohol & drugs
Yes, alcohol may make you fall asleep quickly, but it will not solve your sleep problems and especially your problems falling asleep. Or would you like to drink as much alcohol every day before going to bed until you fall into bed, snore loudly with your mouth open and have a hangover the next day.... Certainly not.
The same of course refers to other drugs.
6. the correct nutrition before going to bed
Eating late is not only bad for your figure, but also for your sleep. Nutrition plays a very important role in sleep disorders. During sleep, the body begins to switch on its detoxification functions and those who take particularly heavy, fatty foods immediately before going to sleep disturb the body considerably in its work.
The organs need rest and a regeneration time so that you have a calm and healthy sleep. The optimal time for your dinner is about 2 to 4 hours before bedtime. Be careful not to eat too fast and not to get too full.
These foods promote your sleep problems and sleep disturbances:
Fatty foods: Fat gives the body and organs hard work. Not a good basis for a good night's sleep.
Sugar: Sugar and carbohydrates drive our blood sugar levels up you feel awake and active. Avoid carbohydrates from white flour, biscuits, cakes or white bread.
Hot food: Just as with fatty foods, you stimulate your digestion and this leads to a restless sleep.
Protein-rich foods: foods rich in proteins (e.g. beef, pork, lamb and game) require a long digestion time and are therefore not recommended. The stomach will be busy all night. Furthermore, foods containing protein can also lead to unpleasant flatulence.
Cheese: Cheese has the beautiful property that endorphins are released and these happiness hormones are enemies for a restful sleep.
Acidic foods or acidifiers: An acidosis in the stomach can lead to heartburn and is not particularly beneficial if you want to fall asleep relaxed. In addition, the release of norepinephrine, which is responsible for increased brain activity, is also stimulated. And who wants to be plagued by thousands of thoughts while falling asleep?
Examples of acidic foods or acidifiers:
Sweets, chocolate, white flour products, coffee, alcohol, meat, sausage, eggs, cheese.
These foods help you fall asleep and against sleep disorders:
Salmon: It contains the healthy omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which stimulates the body's own production of melatonin. And as mentioned earlier, this hormone controls day-night rhythm of the human body.
Foods with a high magnesium content: If you frequently suffer from cramps and therefore have sleep disorders, you should make more use of food with plenty of magnesium. Some examples are: Nuts, legumes, sunflower seeds, spinach, kohlrabi, bananas, raspberries. Dark chocolate and marzipan also contain a lot of magnesium, but also sugar. Chocolate is therefore less suitable before bed.
Camomile tea: If you suffer from stomach and intestinal problems, I recommend a cup of camomile tea before going to bed. Chamomile not only has a relaxing and calming effect on the stomach, it can also relax the muscles, relieve anxiety and thus promote a better sleep.
7. Sport - Power yourself out a few times a week
Physical activity during the day takes away your energy reserves and you will fall asleep much faster. In addition, sport, training and heavy physical activity helps to relieve stress and nervousness.
However, be careful not to exhaust yourself directly before going to bed, as sports release happiness hormones such as adrenaline, which increase your heart rate and blood pressure.
8. a warm bath
A warm bath calms and contributes considerably to relaxation. Make sure you don't bathe too hot and for too long. As a guide, 35 to 38 degrees and 10 to 20 minutes are recommended.
little tip: season your bath with a few drops of essential camomile oil. This relaxes and calms you down.
Alternatively, you can take a hot-water bottle with you to bed, as this also has a calming effect.
9. sleep naked
Studies have shown that you sleep better when you sleep completely naked. But if your pajamas aren't to blame, it could be the wrong breathing before bed.
And that brings us to the last and most interesting point:
10. breathing technique
The wrong breathing technique is often a reason for unpleasant sleep disorders. To practice this breathing technique and effectively improve falling asleep, there is a highly recommended sleep trick that you can learn very easily with the right breathing.
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a prominent doctor and proponent of complementary alternative medicine from the USA, recommends the following special breathing technique:
Breathe in for four seconds, hold the air for seven seconds, exhale for eight seconds and repeat all four times. It is important that you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Your oxygen levels in the body will increase, blood pressure will drop and you will feel maximum relaxation and fatigue. This breathing technique is also known among experts as the "4-7-8 method".
It is also recommended that you repeat this breathing technique often when you go to bed so that your body gets used to it and reacts even faster the next time.
This breathing technique not only helps against sleep disorders, but also against stress, panic attacks and high blood pressure.
A final question I've heard before:
What about a TV, smartphone or laptop when I fall asleep?
The light from a screen contains a certain amount of blue and this could cause the melatonin rhythm to get mixed up and prevent you from falling asleep. The blue light inhibits the release of melatonin, which is particularly important for your body to feel tired and sleepy.
Of course, avoid switching on action or horror movies when falling asleep, as this emotional excitement certainly does not promise a calm and restful sleep.
I could everyone can sleep well now. If you have any other suggestions just write a comment.