Sleep is an important barometer for our well-being, our balance of body-and-soul and for interfering environmental influences like noise, electromagnetic pollution and nocturnal light stimuli. Of course, not every human being is reacting equally sensitive but once a critical influence threshold is reached a sleep disorder and along with it a no longer recreational sleep definitely will appear.
After more than 25 years of sleep research and countless measurings, the well-known sleeping expert and writer Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson is assuming that 70 up to 80 % of people no longer are able to recreate sufficiently during sleep. „Furthermore, in our stress-society most adults and even more children and adolescents are suffering under a chronical sleeping deficiency. This, of course, isn’t remaining without consequences. Numerous health risks come along with tiredness during the day and an increased risk of accidents. Especially a rapid growth of adolescents with depressions that have a connection to a chronical lack of sleep is noticeable.” A study proved something that has been suspected for quite some time: Too less sleep – the so-called sleep deficiency – increases the risk to come down with depression. And frankly speaking, too less or disturbed sleep is able to weigh heavily on someones mind. A study taken with American adolescents showed, that going to bed early and hence sufficient sleep can protect from depression. On the other hand, insufficient sleep is not only making tired but may also lead to depressions. Psychologists have been knowing this for quite a while but now it got confirmation through an American study with 16.000 participants. Scientists of the Columbia University, NY, have recorded the sleep habits and mental problems like depressions or suicidal thoughts of adolescents. Their parents got interviewed to. The statistical analysis led to the conclusion that the ones that got to bed early and thus had a sufficient amount of sleep had a far less risk of being or getting depressed. In cases, where parents were allowing their children to go to bed after midnight instead at 10.00 p.m. latest, 24 % of the adolescents were suffering under depressions more frequently. The scientists found out, that in comparison with adolescents that go to bed at 10.00 p.m. the ones that go to bed after midnight had suicidal thoughts 20 % more often. 54 % of the parents stated, that on weekdays their children have to go to bed at 10.00 p.m. latest, 21 % have to go to bed at 11.00 p.m. and 25 % of parents send their offspring to bed at midnight or even later. The connection of sleeping time and depression is also reflecting in the information given by the adolescents: the ones that regularly slept five hours or less had a 71 % increased risk of depression than the ones that slept eight hours. Suicidal thoughts occurred 48 % (!) more often.
Tiredness impairs interaction with friends
“This makes the finding, that insufficient sleep is a risk for depressions, a fact. Thus, sufficient and recreational sleep is an important preventive action against certain kinds of depression”, explained sleeping expert Amann-Jennson. There is a wide range of possible mechanisms that can explain the connection between lack of sleep and depression. Tiredness can complicate stress management and interaction with friends. Furthermore, ability to judge and concentration get battered. “In the last 20 years, children as well as adolescents and adults have lost at least one hour of sleep per night. This leads to a total of up to 400 hours sleep loss per year. And, a lot of us are lying in bed for eight hours, but are losing further sleep due to disturbances when falling asleep and sleeping through the night.”, quotes the sleeping expert. Latest findings indicate that sleeping quality and sleeping efficiency are more important factors than sleeping duration.
You can learn how to sleep well and sufficiently
Frankly speaking, healthy sleep neither would need special methods nor a certain strategy. But our way of living and the work-related stress has changed this in a massive way. To optimize your sleep knowingly and target oriented it is very advisable to cooperate with an expert or sleeping coach. When you are dealing with the basics of sleep you will get to know your personal “sleep raiders” and therefore will be able to fight them. Assorted wellness hotels will support you in doing so with their special sleep coaching programs (www.samina-hotels.com). It would be the worst idea to reach for pills. They would not be able to get rid of the tiredness but would even enlarge it.
SAMINA Sleep-Healthy-Concept improves sleep efficiency
The international successful SAMINA Sleep-Healthy-Concept got developed under the direction of Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amman-Jennson. This holistic, nature-like sleeping system with its sleep-biological proper duvets filled with virgin wool and a large orthopaedic pillow assortment leads to a measurable improvement of sleeping quality and sleeping efficiency. That means, a better recreation will be reached in a shorter sleeping time. This enables you to optimally benefit from the manifold positive effects of recreational sleep.
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