sleep hygiene

How to create a healthy sleep surrounding

29. August 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

To achieve a good sleeping quality and especially healthy sleep it is important to care for an appropriate sleep hygiene as well as a suitable sleep surrounding.

Find here how to create a healthy sleep surrounding:

The earth’s magnetic field is influencing the optimal alignment of your bed (head north, foot south).
Remove technical devices (mobile phone, tablet, TV, etc.) from your bedroom.
Use a network activator to interrupt power supply.
Watch out for geopathic stress zones.
Use an open (ventilation), metal free bed frame as well as metal free mattresses (no box spring mattresses).
Use natural materials for bed frame, slat frame, mattresses, pads, covers, pillows and bedlinen.
Use waxed or oiled wood for your flooring.
Use carpets made of natural material like sheep wool or linen.
Appropriate windows and blinds care for noise protection. Curtains and blinds darken your room and prevent light stimuli.
Use colors with a relaxing and calming effect (pastel colors like light blue, yellow, soft pink).
To avoid reflection of high frequent radiations don’t put mirrors in close proximity of your bed.
Ideal room temperature is 61° to 64° F.

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

Imagesource: @SAMINA

Sleep – good for performance and for the prevention of injuries

24. May 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

The Seattle Sounders, a club of the MSL, discovered the influence and importance of sufficient quality sleep on the performance of their players.

With help of high-tech wristwatches they examined for two to three weeks the sleeping habits of their players in different phases of the season. Performance analyst Ravi Ramenini states: “sleep is the best recovery tool. If you have a good sleep seven nights a week you minimize the risk of getting injured. And probably, you are going to be in better shape, physically and mentally.”

Dave Tenney, manager of sports science and of performance: “The players with small children had the worst results. Nearly all the guys end up having some sort of soft-tissue issue not soon after the birth of their first child. Why? They go from getting 8-9 hours sleep a night to only 4-6 hours.”

But, domestic life has a further influence: the coaches noticed that, in presaison, married players slept far worse away than at home. This effect was not visible with single players. The explanation is easy: at home, the partner cared for an early enough sleeping time. Away the players spend more time in front of the TV and hence go to bed later.

But, the importance of a good sleep hygiene was also revealed: the best players of the team always go to bed resp. get up at about the same time and sleep from seven to eight hours per night.

Once again, it clearly shows that high-quality sleep is especially important in professional sport. Not only for performance but also as a contribution to prevention of injuries. One more reason to focus on the proper sleep surrounding and –hygiene and above all to the proper sleeping-underlay that is supporting relief and relaxation!

Image Source: ©kybun

Somniloquy –- talking in your sleep

1. April 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Talking during sleep is called “somniloquy”. Most of the time, only incomprehensible sounds are audible. But some people say words and even sentences. Often, the “conversations” are not understandable since the muscles we need for talking are mostly inactive during sleep.

Somniloquy is no disease, it is a quite often occurring behavioral abnormality during sleep. About 5 % of all grown-ups are concerned and of children up to puberty even 50 %. Since evt. existing partners sleep themselves, the phenomenon often remains undetected.

Actually, somniloquy is harmless and may occur by itself or with other sleep disturbances. The only negative side effect is that the bedpartner might be disturbed by the mumbling.

Causes
Usually, talking during sleep occurs during REM-sleep. Here, it is possible that people concerned are saying out loud dreamed sentences. But, during the change of single sleeping phases in non-REM-sleep somniloquy might occur, too.

The causes are not fully examined, yet. But, it is proven that different influences like mental stress situations, fever, alcohol and the intake of certain medications favor talking during sleep.

Somniloquy often occurs more frequently within of families. This leads to the conclusion that it is hereditary. Still, the phenomenon also might occur, when no one else in the family is concerned.

Treatment
As long as you are only speaking during sleep and are not suffering under other sleeping problems, no treatment is necessary. Only, when somniloquy starts to be a social disturber or is leading to sleeplessness, a therapy might be considered.

There are simple remedies for self-treatment. The exercise of certain relaxation methods like Autogenous Training, Qigong or Yoga may reduce the frequency. People concerned should also pay attention to their sleep hygiene. For example, no alcohol and no heavy meals before going to bed. And of course, a regular sleeping rhythm is very important. Physical exercise during day as well as do without caffeine for a couple of weeks are further supporting.

In case, talking during sleep is triggered by an increased psychological stress or mental disturbances it is advisable to seek professional advice.

Image Source: ©fotolia

Sleepwalking

2. March 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Up until today, sleepwalking (medical term = somnambulism) belongs to one of the most secretive phenomena of medicine. Sleepwalking is a sleep disturbance under which mainly children suffer (from 10 to 30 %). It is assumed that 1 or 2 % of adults are sleepwalking more or less frequently. Most sleepwalkings occur in the age from 4 to 6 and mostly it disappears during puberty.

Causes
The causes of this sleep disturbance are not fully researched yet. Sleepwalking mainly occurs during deep sleep, namely during the first half of the night. Scientists assume that certain factors like stress or anxieties, consumption of alcohol or certain medicines might favor sleepwalking. Organic stimuli like a filled bladder, hunger or outer influences like noise seem to increase the tendency for sleepwalking. Furthermore, for sleep scientists a genetic background is a possible cause. About 80 % of all sleepwalkers at least have one relative who is sleepwalking, too.

What is happening during sleepwalking
People concerned get out of bed during deep sleep and act as if being awake. Normally, the sleep of children is deeper –- this might be the reason why they sleepwalk more often. Typical behaviors are things like wandering through the apartment or doing things like washing the dishes, opening and closing doors, climbing stairs etc. People concerned are able to do all the things that they are able to do during everyday life. Often, sleepwalking only lasts a couple of minutes, rarely half an hour. During sleepwalking, the eyes are open, sometimes the sleepwalkers shortly wake up, talk or look around. In the morning, they don’t remember anything.

Is sleepwalking dangerous?
The risk of getting injured during the wanderings is pretty high, since the perception is disturbed. Pieces of furniture, sharp edges etc. present a risk. Also, falling down the stairs or out of a window, walking into walls might be possible.

What can be done?
It is important to not abruptly wake up sleepwalkers while wandering around. Due to the suddenly awakening and not knowing their own whereabouts the sleepwalker becomes scared and often reacts wrongly. Cautiously, try to motivate the sleepwalking person to find the way to the bed again. Also, it is advisable to cover edges, block windows, lock doors (and remove the key!), waive bunk beds. Furthermore, it is advisable to care for an appropriate sleep hygiene like regular sleeping times, no late meals, a suitable sleep environment and sufficient sleep duration.

In case that the disturbance the first time verifiably occurs during adulthood, the behavior is very noticeable and no parent is/was concerned themselves it is advisable to seek medical advice. With a psychiatric and neurological examination organic disturbances that might resemble sleepwalking can be excluded. These disturbances might be certain forms of epilepsy, drowsiness, sleep-apnoea, night-time startling (pavor nocturnus) as well as sleepwalking due to certain medications.

Is it possible to replace too less night’s rest with an after-lunch-nap?

29. October 2015 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Of course, it is a big strain when we are not able to get enough sleep at night and therefore are not recreated and not efficient during the day. The temptation to make up for the missing sleep with a long sleep-break during the day is big. But, you should resist it.

Sleeping strongly during the day, eventually from one to two hours, is counterproductive. By this you are reducing your evening-time sleep pressure which leads to falling asleep difficulties and in consequence to further lack of sleep. Because of the even bigger tiredness the following day, the after-lunch-nap even gets prolonged, the arising vicious circle completely destroys the important and correct rhythm of activity and recreation and therewith supports further sleep disturbances.

Also, after a long after-lunch-nap you are feeling even more whacked than before. Due to too long sleeping you are running the risk that your circulation lowers too strongly and you sink into a phase of deep-sleep. It takes a lot of energy to get out of this phase again and to really wake up to be able to meet the expectations of the rest of the day.

But, a short nap after lunch, 30 minutes the most, is a real energy-boost and part of a correct sleep hygiene which also takes the natural cycles of activity and rest into consideration. You are recharging your batteries until evening and when going to bed have enough tiredness to fall asleep without any problems.