According to doctors, sleep disorders have already become a widespread disease that does not affect any age group. In addition to medically justified sleep disorders, problems falling asleep and staying asleep are becoming more common nowadays.
It is not always easy to set yourself apart from our increasingly fast-paced and active society and, after all the input and tasks of the day, to calm down in the evening in order to get a well-earned and restful night's sleep. Here are some tips that are sure to help you.
Cosy up to insomnia
Our first tip is to tidy up! The bedroom often takes on the role of a storeroom: all the things that otherwise have no place or are visually distracting are moved there first.
For example, piles of discarded books or children's toys that we wanted to put away or sell, or a huge pile of ironing that we just haven't got round to yet. If we're in the middle of it in the evening, it doesn't make it any easier to fall asleep ... Chaos in the bedroom often leads to chaotic problems falling asleep. It's incredible what effect a beautifully decorated and tidy bedroom can have on our relaxation. So bring on the pretty box-spring bed and get rid of all the clutter!
The right climate to combat sleep disorders
In addition to the visual aspect, the right materials also play a major role: the mattress forms the basis for a good night's sleep and the be-all and end-all for the perfect mattress is comprehensive advice in a specialist shop. There, different mattress shapes and the corresponding beds (e.g. box spring bed, waterbed or standard bed) can be tested and customised precisely to your own needs. Accessories such as pillows and duvets as well as the matching fitted sheets and protective covers should also be selected according to your requirements. Here, too, little things count, such as the softness of the materials or a perfect fit so that there is no pinching or tweaking anywhere.
You can find more tips on this in our blog posts on sleeping in summer and winter.
Switch off in the evening!
Firstly, of course, the room light. But low light sources such as TVs, laptops and smartphones are also very important! Apart from the radiation emitted by the devices (the effect on our organism is controversial), it is precisely these devices that contribute to the fact that we can no longer find peace from all the news, information and chatting. So be strict with yourself and switch everything off. No information is so important that we should sacrifice sleep for it. Then there is the blue light that comes from screens. The blue tones keep your eyes awake, make you work harder and therefore favour sleep problems.
Tips from the little herbal witch
Real herbal witches can only be found deep in the Black Forest, but fortunately we can now get many ingredients from this area in health food shops or pharmacies:
Lavender, valerian, hops and lemon balm are considered relaxing and calming medicinal herbs. Everyone can decide for themselves whether to make a bedtime tea, an evening bath or a scented cushion. In any case, the effect of herbs - when used regularly - is a good alternative to sleeping pills from conventional medicine. You should definitely take the time to find the right dosage or form of medicinal plants for yourself. If in doubt, a naturopath can also help. In the case of prolonged and very pronounced sleep disorders, you should definitely consult a doctor to rule out organic causes and find an appropriate solution.
20 tips from sleep experts
With a few targeted measures and rituals, you can actively improve the quality of your sleep - and the quality of your sleep will improve your quality of life and your work performance. It is not without reason that we spend around 24 years of our entire lives asleep: during our night's rest, for example, our immune system regenerates and strengthens and only then do we process the new knowledge we learn every day and store it in our long-term memory. However, there is no standardised sleep duration or perfect period - or at least it is actually genetically determined whether you are more active in the morning or longer into the night. However, a guideline value for a restful sleep duration is around 7 hours. However, you can influence the roots of restful sleep yourself with our tips and work on your sleeping habits. In the following infographic you will find 20 further tips and aids from recognised sleep experts, such as Prof. Dr Jürgen Zulley, which will help you to fall asleep more easily and sleep better through the night:
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The infographic was kindly provided to us by Ergotopia.