Myth # 1: 8 hours of sleep is optimal.
Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson: A Myth! The actual necessary sleeping need of a human being is individually and depends on several factors like genes, age, sleeping routine, state of health and the inner clock. 90 % of all adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep during the night. 5 % less than 7 hours and 5 % more than 9 hours. Not only the sleep duration is decisive rather the sleeping quality and the sleeping efficiency are. In regard to the sleeping quality, the effective sleep duration, meaning the sleeping efficiency, is crucial. Sleeping efficiency is showing the ratio between the period during which one really slept and the period one spent in bed for sleeping. So, if you are lying in bed for 10 hours and actually sleep only 7 hours, your sleep efficiency is 70 %. A good sleeper is having an efficiency of 97-98% (2-3% waking time, including time to fall asleep). This makes sleep efficiency to the most important indicator for the own sleeping quality. By the way, according to a study with more than one million participants, people who slept about 7 hours per night reached the longest life expectancy.
Myth # 2: Regular sleeping rhythm means to always go to bed and to get up at the same time.
Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson: That’s correct, but for most people not practicable. You have to consider, that sleep is highly influencing our biologic rhythm. Unfortunately, only few know how a regular sleeping rhythm has to look like. For example: on weekends, you are having a different rhythm than during weekdays. Only this is bringing irregularity into your biorhythm and therewith in your whole life. The bigger the difference between weekend and weekday the more harmful for the rhythm. A lot of people try to create a consistent sleeping rhythm by going to bed at the same time. That’s not a bad approach but there is one problem: when the rhythm already is disturbed, you don’t fall asleep right away. Out of this reason it makes more sense, to start with getting up at the same time.
Myth # 3: Sleep before midnight is the best sleep.
Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson: That’s correct. According to sleep science, sleep in the first third of the night and especially in the first two hours is the deepest and most intense sleep and therewith has the most recreational effect on the body. So, if these two hours are before midnight, this sleep actually is the healthiest. On the other hand, when you fall asleep after midnight, you will get this healthy sleep just later than the larks that turn off the light earlier. When you don’t get any rest before midnight you don’t have to worry about healthy sleep. Not only the time is important, but also regularity and above all quality of sleep are.
Myth # 4: Sleeping in a cold room is healthiest.
Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson: When you are sleeping in a room that is too warm the body may not cool down sufficiently. If it is too cold, the body prevents by warming up. In both situations we are not reaching the proper sleeping temperature. Normally, the head of the sleeping person is in contact with the climate in the bed room. Out of this reason, an optimal bed room climate is important. With a normal bed equipment and appropriate clothing, the room temperature should be between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. In cold rooms, more intense dreams are noticed than in dry heat. Fresh air supply is positively influencing the sleeping person but the bed should not be positioned in close proximity to the window. Ventilation before going to bed is a matter of course. In a cold sleep surroundings muscle relaxation is inhibited. But, for a healthy sleep, muscle relaxation is a must.
Myth # 5: Take a power nap when you are having sleeping problems.
Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson: Myth. When having sleep disturbances a siesta is only partly helping. Especially when you are suffering under fall asleep disturbances you should dispense with a power nap. Because of the power nap, the sleep pressure can’t built up properly. Out of this reason it will be even harder for you to fall asleep. But, especially for people with a lack of sleep, a power nap can be very useful. When you are having a bad sleep, you should take care to sufficiently exercise during day. But beware: too much and too intense sport in the evening is stimulating circulation and this might interfere with falling asleep. It is better to take an evening walk than do a power training. Check your sleep equipment and your sleep surroundings again and again. To have a really good sleep, these two have to be perfect. And only go to bed, when you are really tired.
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