Sleep disorders: 10 tips that help

Sleep disorders can be symptoms and accompanying symptoms of various diseases. There are known links between poor sleep and mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders. Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease can also be associated with sleep disorders.

However, sleep disorders don't necessarily have to be related to a serious illness. Respiratory illnesses or headaches are also sufficient to disrupt sleep. In general, illnesses that lead to (chronic) pain can cause sleep disorders.

Indications of sleep disorders

You can find out whether and to what extent you are affected by sleep disorders with the following simple test. This is not a substitute for a doctor's visit, but is intended to provide you with initial clues that may indicate a medical diagnosis and treatment. To take the sleep disorders test, simply note how many of the following statements apply to you:

• I have trouble falling asleep, even though I go to bed tired in the evening.

• I have trouble sleeping more than two nights a week.

• For about four weeks now, I have been waking up several times a night and then lying awake for a long time.

• My sleep is very superficial, I wake up easily.

• It takes me at least 45 minutes to fall asleep – and it's been like this for a month now.

• I never sleep more than four or five hours at night.

• I don't feel rested at all in the morning, but rather exhausted.

• I've been tired and exhausted during the day for weeks.

• Lately, I've been falling asleep easily and unintentionally during the day.

If you only agreed with two or more of the statements and these symptoms persist for a longer period of time, you should consult a doctor.

A few tips

In an effort to finally sleep better and stop tossing and turning for hours, more and more people are turning to medication and sleeping pills. However, these medications, especially in the long term, don't solve the problem; instead, they lead to a vicious cycle. As soon as sleeping pills and other sleep-defying medications are discontinued, sleep quality usually deteriorates again. This quickly leads to medication dependence.

Fortunately, there are alternatives: home remedies and other proven tips for sleep disorders. We've compiled the best ones for you here, with which you can combat your sleep disorders without any side effects:

• Reduce inner restlessness . Avoid taking work-related or personal worries to bed with you. The more you spend late nights ruminating, rehearsing scenarios in your head, or dwelling on your worries, the more likely you are to experience sleep disturbances. Try to reduce inner restlessness beforehand. Deal with unresolved issues, talk to your partner, friends, or family about your worries, or write down negative thoughts so they weigh less on you.

• Cultivate rituals . Evening rituals can help prepare your body and mind for sleep. For example, read a chapter of your book every night before bed, drink a calming tea (not black or green!), or meditate. What helps you prepare for sleep depends on your personal preferences. However, your body can use these rituals to unwind.

• Regulate room temperature. A suitable sleeping temperature is between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius. It's especially important that your bedroom isn't too warm. Body temperature drops slightly during sleep. If a high room temperature prevents this mechanism, sleep becomes restless – we toss and turn in search of a cooler position. Fresh air is also important. Open the window 15 minutes before going to bed to let in some oxygen.

• Using your mind's eye: Counting sheep has long been considered an effective remedy for sleeplessness. However, researchers now believe that it's not sheep that help us fall asleep, but rather the beautiful images we create in our minds. A beautiful beach, a blooming spring meadow, or an idyllic mountain cabin—there are no limits to our imagination. The only thing that matters is that you feel comfortable and safe when you think of the image.

• Drink warm milk with honey. A glass of warm milk with honey is one of the tried-and-tested home remedies for sleep disorders. It has a calming effect and can be incorporated into the pre-bedtime rituals mentioned above. This also works with other calming drinks, of course.

• Try lavender oil . Another home remedy for sleep disorders is lavender. Its substrate has a calming effect, and the scent alone promotes relaxation. Whether consumed as a tea or added to the bath before bedtime, the medicinal plant's essential oils and flavonoids relax our nervous system. A major advantage: Unlike medications or sedatives, lavender is non-addictive and has no side effects.

• Get up again. It may sound paradoxical, but if you can't fall asleep, getting up can help. Lying awake in bed for hours is not a solution for insomnia. If you've been awake for 30 to 45 minutes, get up. Make yourself comfortable with a book, for example, but be sure to keep the lights dimmed. As soon as your eyes start to feel heavy, go back to bed.

• Reduce noise sources. Anyone who lives on a busy street or has neighbors who tend to make noise late at night knows the problem. Especially when falling asleep, the body reacts to noise by releasing the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Sleep is almost impossible. Try to reduce noise sources and ensure silence. If some noises outside the home can't be reduced (like cars on the street), you can listen to an audiobook or quiet music. Such pleasant sounds are better than annoying noise.

• Darken rooms. Streetlights or the headlights of passing cars can contribute to sleep disturbances. The sleep hormone melatonin is only produced in the dark. Even the smallest light sources are enough to disrupt the hormone's production. Some people react to the standby light on televisions. Especially in these cases, turn off all lights and close the blinds. If that's not enough, consider getting a sleep mask.

• Maintain a sleep schedule. A simple yet highly effective tip: Sleep regularly. Your body can adapt better to a specific sleep schedule if you maintain it over the long term. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. It helps to maintain this schedule even on weekends. This allows your body to adjust to the sleep schedule, and you'll find it easier to fall asleep.

Source: Career Bible