Restless sleep – what is it actually?
Who doesn't know it: You go to bed and roll around for hours, fall asleep late and / or wake up several times during the night. Such restless sleep can often be attributed to stress or mild illnesses and then disappears again after a short time. However, if you sleep poorly at least three times a week for more than four weeks, you should use a doctor to find out the causes of the nighttime sleep disorders.
Causes: How does restless sleep come about?
Our sleep is very complex and extremely susceptible to faults – therefore there can be many different causes for sleep disorders. Some are only temporary, others permanently burden us and lead to persistent lack of sleep ("insomnia"), that can have a negative impact on our health. The following causes can make sleep restless:
- Worries, fears, needs
- Brooding
- stress
- shift work
- Bad sleeping environment, e.g. B. by noise or light or a poor indoor climate
- Bad mattress
- Nervousness / excitement / tension (also positive)
- Diseases, e.g. B. Infections such as cold or flu
- (chronic pain
- Sleep apnea
- Too much consumption of stimulants like cigarettes or alcohol
- Jet lag after a long trip
- Sport later in the evening
- Certain medications
What happens when sleep is restless for a long time?
Restless sleep reduces our sleep quality – which is almost more important than the length of sleep. Because only when we go through all of the so-called sleep cycles four to six times at night and reach the deep sleep phase several times, do we really feel rested the next day. It is only in the deep sleep phase that the body can begin to regenerate itself and the brain shifts newly learned into long-term memory. In addition, the immune system is strengthened during this sleep phase, which helps us to ward off infections.
If we suffer from such sleep disorders for longer, the body can no longer recover sufficiently. This can have the following physical and psychological effects on the patient:
The longer the sleep problems go untreated, the more uncomfortable symptoms can become noticeable.
How can restless sleep be treated?
As varied as the triggers for bad sleep are, so are the ways to do something about sleep disorders. If there is an underlying illness that makes sleep restless, the first step is to treat it. Otherwise the following tips can help:
- Relaxation techniques: Autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are good ways to let go of the stress of the day and "shut down" the body for the night's rest.
- Home remedies: Natural sleeping pills such as lavender, valerian or hops can gently correct sheep problems, calm irritated nerves and relieve nervousness.
- Ban electronic devices: Mobile phones, laptops and the like can become a burden for sensitive sleepers because they emit blue-wave light that inhibits the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. These devices are better banned from the bedroom. Who knows that he is sensitive in this regard and has trouble sleeping, should also switch off all appropriate devices about 90 minutes before bedtime so that the body can switch to night mode and one can fall asleep.
- Optimize sleeping environment: Noise and light sources in the bedroom should be eliminated, the indoor climate should be pleasant (most people find a sleeping temperature of around 18 degrees pleasant). If it is too warm under the covers, it is time for a thinner one.
- Introduce sleep ritual: In the end, whether you just read a few pages in a book or prefer to take a bubble bath is up to you, but an evening sleep ritual can help the body adjust to a good night's sleep. This helps prevent sleep disorders.
- Movement – at the right time: We need some exercise to get tired – but it shouldn't be right before bed. Sports are best done in the afternoon or early evening.
- Find distraction: If you lie sleepless in bed for hours, the brain forgets that the bed is there to sleep. If sleep does not come, it is therefore better to get up and distract yourself, for example with knitting or a boring night program on TV. Fatigue will come back on its own over time, even if you suffer from general sleep disorders.
- Eat light meals: If you eat pizza or snacks later in the evening, your stomach is busy and can disturb your sleep. Therefore, in the evening, prefer to eat easily digestible meals.
Restless sleep in babies and toddlers
Babies and toddlers very often have light and restless sleep. They are sensitive to their surroundings, and infants in particular quickly suffer from separation anxiety if they do not feel the proximity of their parents. Studies have shown that babies also adopt their parents' sleeping behavior when everyone is sleeping in the same bed. Children often find it easier to sleep when they feel the comforting presence of the sleeping parent. If the parents roll back and forth a lot due to sleep disorders, the child can also take over.
The same applies to a good sleeping environment for babies as for adults: They like a quiet environment without disturbing light sources and noise and with a good room temperature. Babies are also very sensitive to smells: fragrance lamps or intrusive perfumes from parents can make the child restless and cause sleep disorders.
The following applies to children: Fixed rituals help you best, to prepare for bedtime. For example, the child can brush their teeth with the father every evening and then gets a quiet story read out by the mother.
Reading tips: We explain even more sleep tips here. We also reveal what you should know about sleep apnea and how sleepwalking occurs.
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