When Your Sleep is Disturbed: Sleep Disorders

30 to 40 percent of people in Western industrialized nations - about twice as many women as men - do not feel well rested, refreshed and motivated in the morning. Sleep problems and poor sleep quality are widespread. One in ten people suffers from chronic sleep problems that require professional help.

© iStock, Justin Horrocks

Our modern lifestyle, which often involves a high level of stress combined with other factors like poor sleep hygiene, too little exercise and bad eating habits, is often the cause. However, sleepless nights can also be the result of underlying illnesses or medications. Often, sleep problems are “self-actualizing”: if your internal clock has been out of sync for a while and sleep has become a problem, it creates a domino effect of nervous expectations and you have trouble finding your way back to restorative sleep.

Whatever the cause, we don’t have to live with bad sleep!

If you know the cause, you can start to make a positive change.  Most sleep problems can be resolved without medication - thanks to modern holistic therapies. Mild sleep disorders often disappear with just a few simple behavioral changes. A balanced diet, plenty of exercise, healthy stress management, losing excess weight, avoiding stimulants in the evening, a calm sleep environment and last but not least a regular sleep rhythm are effective self-help measures.

According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, you should see a doctor if you experience consistent trouble falling and staying asleep for a period of at least 3-4 weeks and if your physical and mental performance is impaired during the day. Loud, uneven snoring should also be monitored by a doctor because it can indicate life-threatening obstructive sleep apnea. Your first point of contact should be your regular doctor, who can refer you to a sleep specialist if necessary.

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Besser schlafen – besser leben: Die Bedeutung erholsamen Schlafes für Leistungsfähigkeit, Aussehen, Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden ist unumstritten – das Wissen um eine gesunde Schlafkultur jedoch oft lückenhaft. Dabei hilft es uns, gezielt gegen Schlafprobleme vorzugehen und die Erholungsqualität unseres Schlafes zu steigern. Unser Schlafcoach bietet in den einzelnen Lektionen Praxis-Wissen zum Thema „Gesund Schlafen“ – nicht nur für Menschen mit Schlafproblemen, sondern auch für Schlafgesunde, die ihre Schlafqualität nachhaltig verbessern wollen.

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