Sleep Disorders: Tips to help you sleep better

Those who are stressed sleep badly. That is normal. Don't worry too much about it. Otherwise you will only increase your stress and sleep even worse - all the time.

Sleep Disorders: tips to help you sleep better

We spend around eight hours - that is, a third of the day - asleep. Actually. Because every ten American complains of sleep disorders. Women are affected more often than men.

One speaks of a sleep disorder when those affected subjectively perceive their sleep as not being restful. 

Anyone who constantly has problems falling asleep or who lies awake for hours at night is quickly worn down. These insights from sleep research help you to find peace again.

Insomnia on the trail

Have you been struggling with your sleep problem for more than four weeks? Then the best thing to do is to see your family doctor. She will first find out how you live, for example whether you drink a lot of coffee or alcohol, whether you experience stress at work or in private life. She will also want to know if you are currently grappling with a lot of worries.

The next step in diagnosing a sleep disorder is: Your GP will want to rule out other physical or emotional causes. A whole range of diseases can affect sleep. These include, for example, disorders of the stomach, intestines, thyroid and respiratory tract. Mental problems can also make slumber less restful, such as depression, anxiety disorders and age-related mental decline.

Circadian sleep-wake rhythm disorder - the internal clock is ticking incorrectly

If you could sleep during the day but lie awake at night, your internal clock could be out of rhythm. In the short term, this can occur, for example, in the event of time differences due to travel (jet lag). Shift work can also shift the sleep-wake cycle so that those affected cannot sleep at normal times on their days off.

Chronic insomnia - trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking prematurely

Chronic insomnia includes difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early. Anyone who has trouble falling asleep cannot sleep, despite being tired he tosses and turns in bed for more than half an hour or a full hour. Another form is trouble sleeping through the night: those affected fall asleep quickly, but wake up again and again in the middle of the night. Those who suffer from the third form can fall asleep easily and sleep through the night, but wake up well before the alarm goes off and then cannot go back to sleep.

Often these types of sleep disorders also occur in combination, which is then perceived as particularly stressful by those affected.

Narcolepsy - sudden sleep during the day

Although they sleep well and adequately at night, narcoleptics suddenly close their eyes during the day and fall asleep. This sleep disorder is a rare neurological disorder and is also known as sleeping sickness.

depression

Sleep disorders and depression are closely related. Almost everyone who suffers from depression is familiar with sleep disorders. Drugs used to treat depression can also negatively affect sleep. Sleep disorders are listed as possible side effects on the package inserts for the active ingredients citalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, sertraline and amitriptyline, which are often prescribed as antidepressants.

But also the other way around, depression and sleep disorders are related: If you don't get enough sleep over a long period of time, you can get depression. Those affected are simply exhausted in the long run because of the lack of sleep.

Solve the puzzle with paper and pencil

To find out the type of sleep disorder, the doctor will ask you to fill out questionnaires. In these test sheets you will be asked, for example, how long you have suffered from the sleep problems and whether there have been any events that triggered the thing. The question of why you sleep poorly also interests the doctor: Do you wake up often? Do you have pain? Are your legs twitching?

A sleep diary is also informative. In the evening and morning you write down everything important about your sleep in this calendar. For example, you enter how tired you are and how concentrated you are, how long you slept during the day and how long at night - and how much coffee or alcohol you drank. It is advisable to keep the diary for several weeks. You and your doctor will be able to tell whether you really have a sleep disorder from the records. You may also find out which events of the day keep you awake at night.

The sleep laboratory surprises many with good news

In some cases, your family doctor will refer you to a sleep laboratory. There, experts measure what your body does at night: How long and how deeply do you sleep, how often do you wake up during the night? Do you breathe regularly? In a sleep laboratory it can also be discovered whether there is a physical cause behind the poor sleep, for example sleep apnea. Quite surprisingly, some visitors to a sleep laboratory find that they rest much better than expected.

Tips for a good night's sleep

Basically, it is worthwhile to develop certain sleep rituals: read a few pages, say a prayer, write in the diary or have another cup of tea. If you have trouble sleeping, you should also check your sleep hygiene based on the following points. Even small changes can help to get a good sleep and restful sleep.

• no caffeinated drinks (coffee, black tea, cola) from the early afternoon
• Refraining from alcohol, especially as a supposed sleep aid
• Refrain from appetite suppressants
• no heavy meals in the evening
• no afternoon nap with existing sleep disorders
• Turn off the TV at least 30 minutes before bed
• stop smoking just before going to sleep
• Go to bed only when you are really tired
• not looking at the clock at night
• no bright lights, no eating or smoking during the night
• Get up at the same time every day if possible
• regular exercise or exercise
• pleasant atmosphere in the bedroom
• no smartphone and tablet in and by the bed
• Use the bed only for sleeping and sex
• Only take sleeping pills after consulting a doctor and never together with alcohol

when to see a doctor?

Almost everyone is familiar with short-term sleep disorders. However, if they last longer than four weeks and occur three or more times a week, those affected should clarify the causes. In order to get help with long-lasting sleep disorders, an initial discussion with your family doctor can be useful. Sometimes mental or organic illnesses are the cause of insomnia. Doctors and psychologists should provide professional treatment in such cases. They may also prescribe medication to help them sleep through the night.