Archives for October 2016

Perfect sleeping duration depends on age

21. October 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

So far, the optimal sleep duration was about six to eight hours. But, this doesn’t apply to all ages. A newborn needs about 17 hours sleep per day, whereas people 65+ sometimes only need five hours.

The “National Sleep Foundation” has published a recommendation of sleep duration for all ages:

Newborn (0-3 months)

The ideal sleep duration of babies in the age of up to three months are 14 to 17 hours per day. Like always this can’t be generalized. Some babies only need eleven hours, some need 19 hours of sleep. This large amount is necessary because the body is releasing growth hormones during sleep and these growth hormones are important for the physical development. Of course, learning also takes place during sleeping.

Infants (4-11 months)

Already after a quarter the sleep rhythm of babies is regular. Sometimes they sleep the whole night through and the sleeping phases during the day decrease. The optimal sleep duration is about 15 hours, but this may vary. There are also infants with a sleep need of only ten hours. Since sleep is very important for the immune-system, especially for children, ten hours of sleep is the minimum.

Toddler (1-2 years)

Small children, too, should not sleep less than ten hours. Often, lack of sleep is balanced by hyperactivity. Ideal sleep duration at this age is 12 to 15 hours.

Children at kindergarten age (3-5 years)

Like British scientists noticed, it may lead to behavioural problems when children at this age sleep less than eight hours.

School children (6-13 years)

A study of the University Tübingen, Germany, revealed that school children become smarter the longer they sleep. Since the brain is saving and processing learning contents during sleep especially children need a lot of sleep. The majority of school children sleep from nine to eleven hours per day. The optimal sleep duration is from seven to 12 hours.

Teenagers (14-17 years)

During puberty, the body is subjected to severe hormonal fluctuations. To be able to meet the challenge from the passage of child to adulthood the optimal sleep duration is from eight to ten hours.

Young adults (18-25 years)

During this phase, the human being needs seven to nine hours of sleep. An examination of the University of South-Denmark proved that especially young men who want to start a family should care for an appropriate amount of sleep. Due to lack of sleep the testosterone level decreases – and this has a negative influence on the concentration of sperm.

Adults (26-64 years)

Most of the time, seven to nine hours sleep are sufficient. Sleeping from six to ten hours is normal.

Sleeping less than six hours for a longer period of time might have negative consequences. Lack of sleep may lead cardio-vascular diseases, overweight, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Seniors (65 +)

The ideal amount of sleep here is seven to eight hours. But, there are also senior citizens who only need 5 hours of sleep.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Image source: sleepingfoundation.org

Sources:

National Sleep Foundation (https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need)

Study British researchers (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1310/141013-bedtimes-linked-to-behavioral-problems-in-children)

Study University of Tübingen, Germany (http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=128841&CultureCode=en)

Study University of South-Denmark (http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/04/05/aje.kws420.abstract)

Study high blood pressure (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22595955)

Study insulin sensitivity (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23070488)

What your sleeping position is revealing

20. October 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Are you a side sleeper or more likely a back sleeper or even a stomach sleeper? Your sleeping position reveals some of your characteristics. Read, which of your traits are said to be connected with your sleeping position.

Very few people wake up in the same position like they fall asleep in. After all, no-one is lying in bed stiff as a poker. Take your preferred sleeping position when falling asleep and learn what it means:

Stomach sleeper:

Did you know that only 13 % actually find this position comfortable? When you are a stomach sleeper you rank among ambitious people and set your goals high. You are a tidy person and always want to do everything perfect. At the same time you try not to put too much pressure to yourself. When you are a stomach sleeper you more likely tend to have erotic dreams. Maybe this is due to the pressure on the sex organs when lying on the stomach.

Pillow cuddler:

You prefer sleeping on your stomach and clutch your pillow? Then you are said to be a sociable person but somehow impetuous. Being a pillow cuddler you are looking for support of your fellow human beings. Your family is very important for you. You like to give a sense of safety and security. Unfortunately you tend to forget your own needs.

Side sleeper:

When you are a side sleeper you are sharing your sleep-characteristics with 59 % of all people. So, this position is the most popular one. People who slightly bend their knees are said to be well-balanced, rely on their intellectual power and are very fairness-loving. All those who strongly bend their knees are said to be emotional, creative and have a hands-on mentality. No matter how and if you bend your knees: side sleepers look for security, in a family, for example.

Embryonic form:

You roll up during the night and take the embryonic form? Outwardly, you are said to be tough but possess a soft core. At first contacts you seem to be rather reserved but build trust quickly and open up. Your inner strength supports you so that others don’t take advantage of yourself.

Back sleeper:

People who prefer sleeping on their back are said to be slightly egoistic and have a huge amount of pronounced self-confidence. About 18 % of all people prefer sleeping on their back. But be cautions: sleeping on the back tends to snoring.

No matter, whether you found yourself or not or what your preferred sleeping position is – one thing applies for all: for having a good and restful sleep and especially a relaxed neck, the proper pillow is essential.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Get through the fall healthy and slept off

19. October 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

The fall has arrived. But, with the change to the colder season the flu season started, too. It is a fact that people with too few and unhealthy sleep have an increased susceptibility to colds. The immune-system is weakened and too few defensive forces are at hand. SAMINA founder and sleeping expert Prof. Dr. med. h.c. Günther W. Amann-Jennson explains how to improve sleeping quality with simple measures. By doing so, you will strengthen your immune system as well.

Normally we are able to feel when we are in the need of sleep. But, the sleep need is very individually and differs from person to person. Gender, physical build and age influence the sleep duration. Independent from whether you need six, eight or more hours of sleep, one applies for all: for us human beings, sleep is vital. During sleep, numerous endogenous processes occur. Sufficient sleep is a central prerequisite for our health. If we have too few sleep or suffer under sleep disturbances we run the risk of harming our body (on long term). Scientists of the Carnegie Mellon University have dealt with the connection of sleep and health and noticed that too few sleep significantly weakens the immune system and people concerned catch a cold much easier. The scientists assume that bad sleep is influencing the susceptibility.

But, not only the risk of catching a cold increases when sleeping bad or too few. The risk of chronical diseases like high blood pressure, cardio-vascular-diseases, depressions etc. increases, too. Lack of sleep influences our digestion and our circulatory. Furthermore it increases the risk of a heart attack, warns the sleeping expert.

Good sleep, good psyche?

Lack of sleep often affects the human psyche. People concerned are irritable, startle easily and suffer under concentration problems. The performance, too, is decreased. People who often are under stress and whose sleep therefore is negatively influenced have an increased risk of depressive diseases and hallucinations. Stress and too few sleep might trigger anxiety and anger. People concerned run the risk of getting into a spiral of stress. Besides hallucinations and depressions this also might lead to burnout. Prof. Dr. med. h.c. Günther W. Amann-Jennson warns that many people have not realized yet that healthy sleep is valuable. Chronical diseases can be prevented with sufficient healthy sleep. Unfortunately the basic preconditions for regenerative sleep are missing, so the sleep psychologist.

Preconditions for a regenerative sleep

The healthy sleep concept of SAMINA based on more than 30 years of experience combines all necessary preconditions and requirements for a healthy and above all regenerative sleep. The single SAMINA products complement each other. The high quality, double sided and freely suspended SAMINA slat frame cares in combination with the SAMINA natural rubber mattress for an optimal positioning of your back and your spine. Duvets and overlays filled with sheep wool care for a harmonious bedding climate. The healthy sleep concept of SAMINA is complemented with an orthopedic pillow. This has to be adjusted to the need and the physical built of each individual. Besides the proper content of the bed it is also important to optimally prepare for sleep. Stress, everyday life, negative thoughts etc. are best left behind. They are hindering falling asleep and sleeping through. Relaxation exercises, Yoga and Autogenous Training might be helpful. Rituals to fall asleep like for example a cup of “good night tea” support falling asleep, or a walk in fresh air clarifies your mind.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Source: Sheldon Cohen und Denise Janicki-Deverts, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Published: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 169(1).

The dark third of our life

18. October 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

We all have a dark and mysterious part in our life in which we have no control about the things happening around us. Ideally, this period of time lasts a third of our lifetime, after all! Whether you like to integrate this dark side into your life or not – after having read the following article you will realize how important this unknown is.

Of course, we are talking about sleep. From a purely scientific point of view it’s not ultimately clear why we actually sleep. But, numerous studies prove the importance of sleep for our health and performance. During this seemingly useless period that often is considered as a waste of time we are creating the basis for a happy, balanced, healthy and successful life resp. for recovering again.

Basics

A healthy sleep has 5 different sleeping phases – and each of these phases fulfils its own important task. The first two phases of sleep are called light sleep, the following phases three and four are phases of deep sleep. The remaining fifth sleeping phase is the so-called REM-sleep. Passing through these sleeping phases once is called a sleeping cycle which lasts about 1.5 hours. In total, a sleep-healthy person repeats these cycles four to five times which leads to an ideal sleep duration of about six to eight hours. The stay in the respective phases is changing from falling asleep to waking up.

The first sleeping phase is the phase of falling asleep and happens – as the name suggests – only during falling asleep. All other sleeping phases repeat during the night.

Deep sleep

Phases of deep sleep are especially important for our body. Our body is totally relaxed, frequency of pulse and breathing decrease, physical recovery starts. But, complete relaxation also might have negative consequences: the tongue and the soft palate sink backwards, the “deep-sleeper” starts snoring. Sleep apnoea is an increased and life-threatening form of snoring. Here, the airways are completely blocked, breathing stops that might last up to a minute occur. A person suffering under sleep apnoea has to startle – only then the person can gasp for breath and oxygen can flow to the lungs again. Due to the startling the blood pressure rises, longer lasting breathing stops might lead to brain damages or even to suffocation. People suffering under sleep apnoea never really reach deep sleep meaning they lack the positive effects of deep sleep. During deep sleep our brain is processing and consolidating cognitive learning contents. Thus, deep sleep is essential for taking in and applying new knowledge.

A hormone important during and for deep sleep is the growth hormone which is mainly released during deep sleep. Of course this hormone is – amongst other things – responsible for the longitudinal growth of children and teenagers but it is also important for adults. Since longitudinal growth is completed it here has a strengthening effect on the fasciae system and musculature. It also is playing an essential role for regeneration, wound healing, bone strength (keyword osteoporosis) etc.

REM-sleep

This sleeping phase has two faces: on the one hand the muscle tone is reduced to a minimum, on the other hand pulse and breathing are increased due to the dreaming happening during this phase. REM-sleep is very important for processing daily impressions, emotional experiences and inner stress. Furthermore, processing and consolidation of motoric skills are happening during REM-sleep. In the beginning of sleeping, phases of deep sleep prevail. The closer the morning comes the longer the phases of REM-sleep become.

Our hormonal balance is similarly distributed: in the evening the cortisol level decreases, the sleeping hormone melatonin prevails. Thanks to our modern lifestyle characterized by stress our cortisol level often is much too high. Furthermore, light and electromagnetic pollution seriously disturb melatonin production which makes falling asleep and sleeping through much more difficult.

To be able to wake up and get up in the morning, cortisol production is increased the closer morning comes, production of melatonin is reduced.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Image source: @shutterstock

The restless-legs-syndrome (RLS)

17. October 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

After a hard day we often wish for nothing more than some rest, the possibility to put the feet up and to relax. For people suffering under RLS this is almost impossible. Especially during the evening when people concerned sit or lay down their feet start itching, burning and aching. The only remedy is getting up, movement, tension or stretching of the muscles concerned. Even during sleep, periodical movements of the feet are possible. This is leading to sleep interruptions and therefore a restful sleep becomes impossible. Due to the arising lack of sleep people suffering under RLS often are exhausted, tired and suffer under diminished performance and a weak immune-system.

Who is concerned?

About 10 % of the total population suffer under RLS. People older than 65 are more often concerned. Furthermore, there is a chronic-progressive progression of the disease. That means, the complaints increase in advancing age. 10 to 20 % of people concerned already have symptoms in childhood or adolescence. Also, 20 % of pregnant women are concerned.

Causes of RLS

A distinction is made between idiopathic and symptomatic RLS. When talking about primary or idiopathic RLS it is assumed that the transfer of signals from the brain is disturbed, especially via the neurotransmitter dopamine. This neurotransmitter is influencing the coordination of movements.

There are several responsible causes for symptomatic RLS. Some of them are kidney diseases, rheumatics, iron deficiency, the intake of certain medications like neuroleptics, anti-depressants or a metabolic disorder. About 40 to 50 % inherited RLS. Therefore it is rather common that several family members suffer under RLS.

Treatment of RLS

When suffering under symptomatic RLS the treatment is a removal of the causes. The therapy of primary RLS is the intake of medications containing therapeutic substances from the Parkinson’s-therapy. Thus, it is attempted to balance the dopamine deficit in the brain. Besides the medication intake other things might contribute in keeping the quality of life. Here, soft massages, infusions and contrast baths as well as elimination of certain foods might ease the symptoms. Furthermore, sufficient movement in fresh air combined with an appropriate sleep hygiene is important for a healthy, restful sleep.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Image source: @fotolia

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

14. October 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

In September, the autumn equinox has taken place. That means, that day and night are of equal length and therefore it is the start of the astronomical autumn. From now on in the evening it is getting dark earlier and becoming bright later in the morning. For many people who have to get up early in the morning the onset of the dark time of the year is leading to physical and mental impairments. They are suffering under disturbances to fall asleep, concentration disturbances, exhaustion up to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The depression depending on the season often occurs in the long nights of the cold months of autumn and winter. People concerned have a feeling of joylessness and sadness, suffer under listlessness and are extremely tired. In contrast to other depressions people concerned have an increased need to sleep as well as an increased appetite and weight gain.

Scientists assume that the increased production of melatonin (sleeping hormone) and the decreased release of serotonin (happy hormone) are the cause of the SAD. The increased production of melatonin often leads to severe sleepiness.

How to prevent these symptoms

To prevent these symptoms it is advisable to care for a balanced nutrition. Furthermore, soak up as much daylight as possible and spend time in fresh air, even on a cloudy day. Movement in fresh air not only makes fit but also stimulates your metabolism and strengthens the immune system.

In the cold time of the year indulge in sufficient and especially healthy sleep. To achieve a restful and healthy sleep it is important to care for proper basic conditions, like a regular sleep-wake-cycle, disturbance-free sleep surrounding, a healthy sleeping place with a nature-like bedding and a room climate of 61 ° to 64 °F with an absolute humidity of about 40 to 50 %.

When suffering under disturbances to fall asleep and waking-up-problems a light alarm clock comes in handy. In contrast to an ordinary alarm clock the light alarm clock wakes up by a source of light not by a sound. By and by your bedroom becomes brighter – the simulation of the sunrise wakes you up softly. There are also light alarm clocks that have a sleep timer function. Here, they simulate a sunset by slowly but constantly becoming darker. This enables a soft falling asleep.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.