No more counting sheep!
Getting enough sleep is not only important to stay healthy and productive, but also to maintain inner balance and center. Nevertheless, more and more people are suffering from serious sleep disorders. We reveal how you can solve your sleep problems with simple and, above all, natural tricks and thereby increase your well-being and vitality...
You want to go to sleep in the evening, but your thoughts are going on a loop and you just can't relax? You wake up at night and can't get back to sleep? Instead of waking up full of energy and rested, you feel tired and exhausted in the morning? Then you are like many others, because a recent study by Statista shows that around 43% of Germans and 38% of Austrians suffer from sleep problems.
The reasons for impaired sleep are very diverse and can range from psychological stress, stress and depressive moods to an unhealthy diet and high consumption of medication, alcohol or nicotine, as well as hormonal problems. In addition, insomnia and nervousness, together with cramps in the legs, can also be signs of a magnesium deficiency. To determine the actual cause of your sleep problems, you should first examine your lifestyle and habits. Often, small changes and conscious new evening rituals are enough to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve the quality of sleep.
- Train your body by establishing a consistent routine and going to bed at the same time every night.
- Make sure your bedroom is fresh, quiet and relaxed and avoid distractions such as television, smartphones, tablets, etc.
- Avoid difficult-to-digest and sugary snacks in the evening, as well as alcohol or nicotine consumption.
- Relaxation techniques such as meditation, visualization and breathing exercises help combat negative thoughts and stress.
- Keeping diaries, mindfulness journals or simply to-do lists can also help to organize the chaos of thoughts and banish them from your head onto neutral paper.
- Use natural relaxation and sleep aids. Nature provides a variety of medicinal herbs and plants that have been used for centuries to calm and improve sleep. In addition to lavender and vanilla, which are used primarily in aromatherapy for anxiety, depression and insomnia, the Indian medicinal plant Ashwagandha, also known here as the "sleeping berry", is becoming increasingly important.
- Support your natural melatonin balance. The sleep hormone melatonin is produced in the pineal gland of the brain and not only protects our brain cells from oxidative stress, but also regulates our sleep-wake rhythm. Melatonin levels rise in the evening, making us tired and easier to fall asleep, while in the morning they fall and make room for the rise in cortisol levels, which make us feel fresh and alert. If the melatonin balance is disturbed or impaired, this leads to sleep problems and insomnia.
Nevertheless, if you have persistent sleep problems and chronic insomnia, you should seek professional help, because nothing is more important for our physical and mental health than sufficient rest periods and good sleep.
Sources:
https://de.statista.com/infografik/29586/befragte-die-unter-schlafstoerungen-leiden/
https://www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de/bibliothek/abnehmen/abnehmen-uebersicht/schlafmangel
