Nearly one in two now suffers from sleep disorders, either constantly or occasionally. Those affected are often tired, unable to concentrate or easily irritable during the day.

Twice as many women as men in Germany have sleep problems. While almost every second woman sleeps badly, only every fourth man is affected.

This is shown by a Forsa survey commissioned by TK. Sleep robber number one is occupational stress, followed by family and health problems.

Sleep well again at last

With online sleep training, TK-insured persons suffering from sleep disorders can improve their sleep quality. A short test will show you whether the training could be something for you. To the test

We sleep less and less

Scientists have found that the average amount of sleep per night has decreased by up to 30 minutes over the past two decades. As the sleep deficit increases, the general state of health deteriorates significantly. Often stomach and heart problems are the result.

It all depends on the quality

Recent studies indicate that it is not only the number of hours slept that is decisive, but also the quality of sleep. That is why modern therapies focus on improving the restfulness of sleep. The researchers’ conclusion: Only those who sleep restfully will notice positive effects on their performance and immune system. Quality of mattress is crucial as well, getting the best mattress in a box from your trusted brand now!

Excessive daytime sleepiness

People who suffer from daytime sleepiness have an excessive need to sleep during the day, even though they have slept enough at night. In some cases, people suffering from daytime sleepiness suddenly fall asleep unintentionally during work or even in traffic.

The main causes of excessive daytime sleepiness are so-called sleep apneas. These are repeated, brief respiratory arrests during sleep, often resulting in prolonged, excessively loud snoring.

Tips for daytime sleepiness

Several “naps” a day of 15 to 20 minutes help to reduce the need for sleep during the rest of the day.

In any case, sufficient physical exercise should be provided. If you really let off steam at least two or three times a week, you will sleep more peacefully at night and will therefore be less likely to suffer from fatigue during the day.

Eat four to five small meals spread over the day instead of two to three rich meals a day.

If you snore, you should watch your weight. When losing weight, excess fat pads in the neck and throat area, which hinder breathing, disappear. It often helps to sleep in the lateral position.

Nightmares & Co.

Nightmares and nocturnal frightening are accompanying symptoms that can occur during sleep. These symptoms mostly occur in childhood and adolescence, but also occur in adults.

Nocturnal startle is accompanied by downright panic attacks. In contrast to nightmares, you usually cannot remember them the next morning.

Experts attribute these accompanying symptoms in adulthood primarily to psychological causes. The main triggers for nightmares and night terrors are stress, excessive demands and stressful living conditions.

Tips for nightmares and nocturnal fright

Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and meditation help to reduce stress and release physical tension. Nightmares and night terrors can also be the result of psychological problems. In this case psychotherapy can be useful.

Disturbed sleep-wake rhythm

The sleep-wake rhythm is disturbed if it deviates considerably from timers such as brightness, darkness and the generally accepted sleeping times.

The causes of these complaints are often directly related to the job. In shift work, the normal sleep-wake rhythm is disturbed by alternating early and night shifts. Frequent long-haul flights also upset the biological rhythm.

Tips on the sleep-wake rhythm

Those who want to avoid “jet lag” and fly westwards should go to bed one or two hours after the usual bedtime. Flights to the east, on the other hand, should be slept about two hours earlier.

For shift work, experts recommend the “fast rotating shift system”. This means: early shift on the first day, late shift on the second day, night shift on the third day and then a completely non-working day.

Sleep disorders in children

About a quarter of all children suffer from sleep disorders at some point. Newborns usually sleep for a good two thirds of the day, but wake up every three to four hours because they are hungry.