What is healthy sleep?
A healthy sleep means that we not only sleep enough hours, but also have a high quality of sleep. Because although eight hours of sleep are often given as a guideline, the duration of sleep is individual and age-dependent: infants usually sleep 14 to 17 hours a day, adolescents between eight and ten and adults between seven and eight. What is more important than the duration of sleep is how often we go through the so-called sleep phases at night: four to six cycles per night are optimal.
Why is healthy sleep so important?
Just who regularly sleeps adequately and well, remains productive in the long run. The following things happen in your sleep:
- Body cells regenerate, which is important for our lifespan, among other things
- The immune system is built up, which lowers the risk of diseases
- The brain stores information and, for example, shifts new knowledge into long-term memory
If we suffer from sleep disorders for a long time, for example sleep disorders, our performance decreases. In addition, concentration disorders occur more often, and so do we become more susceptible to disease.
How's sleep going?
Depending on the model our sleep can be divided into three to five sleep phases per night, that together form a sleep cycle. There are generally these stages of sleep:
- Fall asleep phase: The first phase takes an average of 15 minutes, but there are also people who can fall asleep within five minutes and people who need at least half an hour to do so. The body is in a kind of floating state between waking and sleeping and becomes calmer, which is noticeable, for example, by a calmer breathing and a slower pulse.
- Light sleep phase: We go from the sleep phase into the light sleep phase, in which we spend a total of about half of the sleep and which gets longer from sleep cycle to sleep cycle. Disruptions such as light or noise can wake us up very easily in the light sleep phase.
- Deep sleep phase: The deep sleep phase is the crucial sleep phase. The whole body is relaxed, blood pressure drops, breathing and heartbeat are slow. The brain processes the events of the day, the cells begin their regeneration and the immune system is strengthened.
- REM phase: The REM phase or dream phase is the phase in which we dream and in which we also process the experiences of the day – in the form of dreams. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement and owes its name to the fact that the eyes move quickly back and forth under the closed lids. The brain is also active in this phase, but our body is paralyzed. This is to prevent us from performing the actions in sleep in the real world.
Incidentally, waking up in the deep sleep phase is not that easy. When we are awakened in this phase, we are often disoriented for a while, feel sleepy and suffer from constant fatigue all day.
Healthy sleep: How do I recognize sleep disorders?
But how do I find out if I have a good sleep pattern and get enough sleep? The general rule: If you just lie awake from time to time or suddenly wake up at night, you don't have to worry immediately. There are significant signs that indicate that sleep disorders may be present. These include:
- Falling asleep regularly takes over 30 minutes
- Frequent waking up at night
- After waking up at night, you don't fall asleep immediately, but lie awake for a long time
- The feeling of not being rested even though the length of sleep was okay
Keep these complaints for more than four weeks, they should be checked with a doctor.
Causes: Where do my sleep disorders come from?
There are many possible causes for poor sleep. The most common are:
- Stress, worries and other psychological stress
- Poor sleep hygiene, e.g. B. by noise, light, bad or too warm air
- shift work
- Nocturnal urge to urinate
- Restless leg syndrome
- Sleep apnea (breathing interruptions during sleep, often associated with snoring)
- High luxury food consumption, e.g. B. alcohol or cigarettes
- Hot flashes
- Pain
- Nocturnal teeth grinding
Because there are so many different possible triggers, it often takes time to find it. In some cases, such as suspected sleep apnea, a stay in a sleep laboratory can also be helpful. All information about sleep – such as duration, breathing and pulse – can be measured here.
Which treatment helps with sleep disorders?
Depending on the cause, the treatment is also individual. Sleeping pills that many patients take out of despair should only be taken in close consultation with the doctor, if at all. Because they don't fight the cause of the problems, and sleeping pills can also make you addicted in the long run.
If there is a disease such as sleep apnea, it must first be treated. With sleep disorders without a recognizable cause, it often helps to question your own lifestyle and adjust it if necessary. For example, if you take a long nap during the day and then find it difficult to sleep in the evening, you can test whether he should skip the afternoon nap. In addition, one should not ignore the natural need for sleep: if you have to be at 10 p.m., you should also go to bed and not stay awake frantically longer.
In addition, a healthy, varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, fiber (e.g. in whole grains), lean meat and dairy products and the avoidance of luxury foods such as alcohol and cigarettes help. And: In order for the body to get tired, it also has to move. Those who exercise around 30 minutes three times a week are doing a lot of good for themselves. However, the movement should be put on in the afternoon or early evening so that the body still has enough time to shut down again before going to bed.
For your health: 7 tips against sleep problems
Also the following tips can improve sleep:
- Create a good sleeping environment: Above all, this includes a well-ventilated room with a pleasant temperature (most people prefer a sleeping temperature of around 18 degrees), switching off light and noise sources, and a ceiling that is neither too thick nor too thin. Your own sleepwear should also be light and comfortable.
- Buy the right mattress: Not only the back is happy about the choice of the right mattress, sleep also benefits in general. With the optimal mattress shoulders and hips should sink slightly, even natural materials such as cotton can improve the quality of sleep.
- Ban electronic devices: Mobile phones, laptops and the like are better banned from the bedroom if you are a sensitive sleeper. They emit a blue-wave light that can disturb sleep.
- Use the bed only for sleeping: For example, whoever reads or even works in bed constantly gives the body the impression that the bed is not there for sleeping at all. It is important that we unconsciously perceive the bed as our nightly resting place. So read books on the sofa instead.
- Introduce sleep rituals: With a daily evening ritual we signal to the body that it is now time for a good night's sleep. Anything that relaxes is allowed: it can be a bubble bath as well as an evening herbal tea.
- Eat light meals: Especially fatty and high-carbohydrate meals in the evening are often difficult for us in the stomach, which then deals with digestion – and that can keep us awake. It is better to have a light last meal, which is taken about three hours before bed.
- Perform relaxation techniques: Whether hatha yoga, meditation or autogenic training: relaxation techniques help us to shut down the body and get rid of stress. If you have sleep problems, you should definitely try them.
We explain how to learn meditation here.
Reading tips: We explain how stress management works here. You ask yourself: What helps against snoring? We also have an answer to that! We also share our best sleep tips.
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