The psychological stress caused by the pandemic and the Ukraine war make many Germans sleep poorly. Added to this are the extremely hot temperatures, which are currently robbing many people of their night’s sleep. A sleep researcher explains how to take countermeasures.
The tropical temperatures cause many Germans to have trouble falling asleep. In any case, many people suffer from restless sleep or even disorders that require treatment, explains sleep researcher Hans-Günter Weeß.
According to him, however, many Germans could improve the quality of their sleep with simple measures. “Instead of exercising late or eating heavy meals, you should retire about an hour before you go to sleep,” said the head of the interdisciplinary sleep center in Klingenmünster in the Palatinate. Many people do not manage to “release” themselves in the evening and to relax in a way that promotes sleep, he explained on the occasion of the day of sleep on Tuesday.
The day of sleep, which was celebrated for the first time in 2000, was initiated to raise awareness of the problem of sleep disorders and their possible consequences and to provide information about effective therapies.
Anyone who cannot fall asleep properly in the evening not only struggles to get out of bed in the morning, but usually throughout the entire day. In the worst case, only sleeping pills help those affected. So that it doesn’t get that far for you, the somnologist Hans-Günter Weeß will explain in our free webinar on Tuesday, June 21, from 8:15 p.m. how you can become your own sleeping pill. GET YOUR FREE TICKET HERE!
With reference to studies by the Robert Koch Institute, Weeß said that a significant proportion of Germans sleep poorly. “Six to ten percent have sleep disorders that require treatment. We assume that an additional third of the population will have restless sleep.”
Weeß complained about an increasing “non-stop society” in Germany, in which everyone can be reached around the clock. “They even answer e-mails in bed. A constant standby mode. You lie in wait: ‘Is there anything left to do?’ This is particularly common among young people,” he said.
Weeß expressed understanding that people complained about poor sleep because of the corona pandemic or the Ukraine war. “When we worry, we sleep less well. That is normal. It is precisely then that we should devote ourselves to beautiful things that also exist and that stabilize us emotionally, ”emphasized the sleep researcher.
Weeß advised on the current hot nights
before going to bed.
“For sleep, we need a falling core body temperature, which we achieve by warming the surface of the skin. And when it comes to bedding, you should choose cotton instead of synthetic fabrics.”