7 tips for a restful night

Who hasn't experienced it: you toss and turn for hours at night, unable to sleep. This is something that our 7 techniques for falling asleep can help with!

Tips on how to fall asleep: Many Germans have poor sleeping habits.

In Germany, around 18 million people have sleep disorders and toss and turn from side to side at night. Poor sleep can be caused by a variety of factors, including mental stress as well as physical sickness. But how can you get back to sleep and rest? Our suggestions for falling asleep will assist you!

Sleep aids: The best tips for falling asleep at a glance Do you want to finally fall asleep again? Then try our tips! But keep in mind: As different as the causes for bad sleep is, as diverse are the methods that help against it. Not all of our tips will work equally well for everyone. A good sign is when you noticeably relax when implementing the tips for falling asleep and your thoughts come to rest. The following tips are easy to implement and help with acute sleep problems at night:

Lavender sachet: Lavender is well-known for its calming and relaxing properties, and it's commonly found in sleeping medicines. Simply slip a lavender sachet under your pillow to be soothed into pleasant dreams by the aroma of lavender. Alternatively, sprinkle one or two drops of lavender oil on a towel next to the pillow and place it there.

Warm milk is a tried-and-true method for going asleep, and with good cause. Because milk includes both melatonin, a sleep hormone, and tryptophan, an amino acid that aids sleep. However, the amount of both in a cup of milk is insufficient to produce significant benefits. It is thought that the milk has a higher plausibility.

Breathing exercises: Breathing exercises are not only beneficial for physically releasing tension in our hurried daily lives, but they also assist us in falling asleep. The so-called 4-7-8 method is said to be very beneficial. To do so, lie comfortably on your mattress and slide your tongue back toward the roof of your mouth, lightly pressing against it. Then slowly inhale while mentally counting to four. Now take a deep breath and mentally count to seven once again. Exhale and count to eight before starting over.

Perform the following procedure to fall asleep: You will sleep better if you have a personal ritual to end your day and prepare for the night. Because monotony, which you normally attempt to avoid, is one of the worst things you can do.

Exercise: Physical activity is always beneficial to our health: it relieves stress, keeps us healthy, and exhausts us. But it doesn't mean you should go to a late-night spinning class merely to go asleep fatigued. The opposite is more likely to occur: the body becomes entirely engulfed in an adrenaline high and refuses to relax. Instead of working out in the late afternoon, you should do so in the late afternoon so that your body has enough time to wind down before bedtime. After all, you'll be exhausted.

Why should I care about sleep issues in the first place?

Anyone who has trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night should take their concerns seriously and utilize our sleeping advice because a lack of sleep can make us unwell in the long run. The body regenerates when we sleep, ensuring that we are fit and refreshed the next day. Sleep is essential for us to live long and happy lives. Chronic sleep problems can lead to the following outcomes:

• Daytime fatigue and concentration issues: The body requires its evening rest. If it doesn't get it, it tries to make up for it during the day, resulting in exhaustion. Not only does this make it difficult for us to focus on our duties, but it also makes us inefficient.

Sleep deprivation has a deleterious impact on metabolism and hormone balance, resulting in weight gain. It increases the synthesis of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, for example. As a result, we become more hungry during the day and eat more.

• Mood swings: Fatigue might sometimes make you feel irritable. We are more likely to be in a poor mood and have less patience if our sleep is disrupted regularly.
• Depression: Studies show a link between sleep disturbances and an increased risk of mental illness. However, it has not yet been fully clarified what role genetic factors play in this.
• Weakened immune system: Our immune system also needs regenerative night sleep. If it is lacking, we become more susceptible to infections such as the common cold.

And if nothing helps at all?

If the tips for falling asleep don't solve the problem, you should consult your family doctor as soon as possible to find the cause. After all, apart from the possible consequences, in the worst-case scenario, there could also be a disease behind the sleep disturbances, for example, a metabolic disorder such as hypothyroidism. This then needs to be treated.