Sleep better: use the app to paddle into the land of dreams

Sleep better
Daddling into the land of dreams via app

From Insa Schniedermeier

Insomnia can become a real problem. Those who regularly sleep too little are more likely to develop depression and diabetes. But it doesn't have to get that far: three founders have developed an app for people who have problems falling asleep and staying asleep.

Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have said: "The man sleeps four hours, the woman five, and an idiot six." Today's science would vehemently contradict Napoleon. For optimal regeneration, experts recommend at least seven hours of sleep, depending on disposition, age, habits and – for women – cycle phase. According to data from a large US health survey, those who regularly sleep less are more likely to develop depression, diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure. The ability to concentrate, energy level and mood are also influenced by the duration and quality of sleep. It is not without reason that sleep deprivation is still a popular torture method today, which is even undetectable.

from left to right Alexander Rötger (CMO), Jan Kühni (CTO) and Noah Lorenz (CEO)

The bedroom as a torture chamber? Noah Lorenz, Co-Founder and CEO of Mementor, confirms: "For people who suffer from problems falling asleep and staying asleep, the bedroom is often associated with stress." Together with Alexander Rötger, he developed the Somnio app, a digital sleep training based on cognitive behavioral therapy that can be used to treat sleep disorders. The training is led by Albert, a virtual sleeper coach who is suspiciously very similar to co-founder Rötger.

The concept of Somnio: In order to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep better, the learned behavior should be changed and new routines should be established. For example, through guided sleep restriction, i.e. sleep deprivation. By deliberately restricting bedtime, the so-called sleep pressure can be increased and the bed can be recharged with positive emotions, says Lorenz. In October 2020 Somnio was approved as a digital health application (DiGa) by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. Since then, the costs of the treatment can be covered by the health insurance companies.

Sleep better through sleep deprivation

To activate Somnio you only need a doctor's prescription from a family doctor, a psychotherapist or a teledoctor. You will then receive the activation code for the app from your health insurance company after you have submitted the prescription there. Interacting with other players in the health system was Somnio's goal from the start. "We see ourselves as part of the treatment, not as an isolated solution," says Lorenz. He says: "It's similar to when doctors prescribe a drug. That is usually not enough, but is just one component, a building block of the treatment. And that's how we see our solution."

Insomnia can become a real problem. According to the Techniker Krankenkasse, one in three people sleeps poorly. Every tenth person fulfills the clinical diagnostic criteria of a sleep disorder, also known as insomnia. But so far only a few of those affected have received professional treatment. The topic has become even more acute due to the corona pandemic. "People no longer have a structure, that's a big problem," says Rötger. Because banished to the home office, you can simply stay in your pajamas in the morning or work from bed – and that is just poison for a healthy sleep. The bedroom needed peace, serenity and sleep – and not work and stress.

The idea for Somnio came to the psychotherapists Lorenz and Rötger in Switzerland in 2014. Without a name, they pitched their concept in a business plan competition and were able to secure their first small financing. With Jan Kühni, now CTO, they brought the IT knowledge they needed on board. In 2020 there was a further injection of funds in the mid six-digit range in order to be able to enforce recognition as a DiGA final. The young startup is now sitting in a large apartment in an old building in Leipzig: stucco on the ceiling, art on the walls, plus a good coffee machine, because even the sleep specialists shouldn't miss coffee.

Medicines are not a solution

The therapists Lorenz and Rötger advise against drugs as sleep medicine. This does not solve the real problem, and sleeping pills can be quickly addictive and are often associated with side effects. The numbers are actually frightening: In 2019, around one million people in Germany took sleeping pills or sedatives every day or almost every day. In 2016 there were still 560,000. This means that the number of people who regularly help them sleep with small aids has almost doubled in just four years. In the corona year 2020, the numbers are likely to have increased even further.

And how quickly does digital sleep training work? "You can already have good results after six weeks," says Lorenz. This is of course not as fast as with a sleeping pill. But the results are more sustainable: Even twelve months after completing the digital sleep training, the positive effects of the treatment can still be proven.

You can get a lack of sleep under control without medication. Little sleeper Napoleon died at the age of only 51 from stomach cancer – a possible secondary disease. Now who is the idiot, Napoleon?

This article first appeared on Business Punk.

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