Are you part of the sleepless? Don't know how to fight insomnia? Then let This Place support you.

In this article you will not only find a lot of information about sleep problems, sleep habits, sleep quality and health. We would also like to recommend a ritual with our sleep cream The Good Night. Let yourself be inspired and find a restful sleep!

• Why is healthy sleep important?
• Insomnia: Do I have symptoms?
• Are sleeping pills the solution to insomnia?
• What can help against sleep disorders?
• Self-Care: Take care of what you need!
• Your personal ritual to fight insomnia
• FAQ

You want to find your way to sleep. But your eyes stare into the darkness and despite tiredness and exhaustion you find it difficult to close them. One thought follows the other. It seems impossible to stop this spiral of thoughts. Inner restlessness spreads. The tingling in your legs intensifies. The pressure grows with every minute that passes: I need to sleep now!

Hours later you fall into a restless sleep, wake up tired in the morning and don't have enough energy to cope with the day ahead. Does this scenario sound familiar?

Insomnia is the technical term, which loosely translated means "sleeplessness". A 2018 Forsa survey showed that more than a third of the German population suffers from a sleep disorder [1]. Today, the number of people affected is likely to be much higher.

If you look for help and a solution, you will be overwhelmed with good advice: Find the cause, eliminate the cause, pay attention to your sleep hygiene. But with the advice it is such a thing. Because especially when you don't feel well anyway, it can happen that you get something completely different instead of "advice": You are literally " bombarded" with tips and tricks or it feels like a "slap" in the face when you are told: "Just do that!"

Before you continue to ponder, making restful sleep even more distant, focus on your goal: You can and will find the way to your personal sleep ritual. And on this path, This Place accompanies you, in which we talk with you about the causes of insomnia as well as about solutions for insomnia.

Why is healthy sleep important?

Adequate sleep with a good quality of sleep is vital to feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning.

Your body continues to work while you sleep. This strengthens your immune system, and through the release of growth hormones, your bones and muscles, as well as your internal organs, can regenerate. Your metabolism needs to replenish its energy stores and therefore produces more proteins. It also removes metabolic products from the brain. Even your brain is not idle. It has the task of processing and storing the impressions of the day. And for your body to do all this "work" satisfactorily, it needs a good night's sleep.

If you don't get enough sleep, this will not only affect your psyche, but also your body. The consequences of sleep problems that persist over a longer period of time and the resulting lack of sleep cause, among other things:

• Overweight
• Concentration disorders
• Decrease in performance and responsiveness
• Exhaustion
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Increased blood sugar
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Weakened immune system
• Microsleep
• In case of extreme overtiredness: sensory illusions
• Gastrointestinal problems

As you can see, sleepless nights may have serious consequences.

Insomnia: Do I have symptoms?

Most of us know the causes of our sleep disorders. Stress, problems, worries, fears, pain or illnesses are stressful and thus deprive us of valuable sleep. But just because we know the reason, we don't automatically find it easier to sleep.

So to answer the above question: If the sleep problems occur at least three nights a week over a period of one month, but you can't pinpoint a cause, please see a doctor [2]. It can be helpful if you start keeping a sleep diary a few days beforehand and take it with you to the consultation with the doctor. This way they can get a comprehensive picture of the problem.

Even though sleep disorders have psychological causes in most cases, they can be caused by a disease, for example hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. In addition, various medications (including antidepressants, hypertension or asthma medications) trigger sleep onset and sleep maintenance disorders as side effects [3].

Does addressing the causes help with a sleep disorder?

Theoretically, eliminating the causes could fix the sleep problems. In practice, however, this is usually not an immediate solution. Especially if we do not know exactly how to do it.

Stress at work, conflicts in the family, the loss of a loved one, money problems, or a stressful illness can be responsible for the sleep disorder. It can't be magicked away with a snap of your fingers.

If you feel that you cannot cope with your problems on your own, you could consider seeking professional help (such as: behavioral therapy or psychotherapy).

Are sleeping pills the solution to insomnia?

Many people who have suffered from insomnia for a long period of time, or nearly every night, may understandably long for a quick fix. Nevertheless, you should not get carried away by trying out all kinds of freely available sleeping pills. By doing so, you are unintentionally putting even more pressure on the issue, which is not very beneficial in the long run.

Treatment with a prescription sleep aid is most often an option when your health is jeopardized by a chronic sleep disorder. However, the use of these drugs is not done without first consulting a doctor [4].

This is because what appears to be a simple solution to insomnia usually causes new problems. Both prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids can have unpleasant side effects. Paradoxical but true, sleeping pills can trigger insomnia [3]. In addition, they run the risk of dependency.

Apart from that, prescription sleeping pills are only used for a limited period of time. There is a high risk that the sleep disorder will return after discontinuation.

What can help against sleep disorders?

The term sleep hygiene refers to the behavior and conditions that promote healthy and restful sleep. That's why sufferers are advised time and time again to change their sleep habits.

When it comes to sleep hygiene, the following also applies: What feels good to you? What do you find easy to implement?

Timing of going to bed and getting up: It can help you to go to bed at the same time every day and get up at the same time in the morning. In this way, you can better coordinate your biological sleep-wake rhythm.

Afternoon nap: Do not exceed a sleep duration of 30 minutes [5]. After about 30 minutes you fall into the deep sleep phase. If you wake up in this phase, you will feel a certain "sleep drunkenness" that will make it difficult for you to get back to your daily activities.

Habits before going to bed: Refrain from nicotine, alcohol, coffee and caffeine-containing teas (e.g., black or green tea), and physical overexertion about four hours before you go to bed.

Sleeping environment: A comfortable bed with comfy bedding and a bedroom temperature between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius are considered optimal [6].

Bedtime is bedtime: no smartphone, no tablet, no notebook, no TV. According to a study, the artificial light from these electronic devices can promote sleep problems [7].

Self-Care: Take care of what you need!

In the context of self-care, it is especially important to find out what works for you, your body, and your soul. One person may find some rest and rejuvenation with a relaxing bath, meditation, or a yoga workout, while another may blow off steam during a vigorous run.

Maybe you also have the positive experience that a ritual gently leads you to sleep. Because rituals can actually enrich our lives. According to a study, they are not only mental medicine, but also increase our well-being and joy [8].

We would like to introduce you to the first herbal sleep cream from This Place, as a little helper, to help you implement a ritual: The Good Night.

Relaxing sleep cream with the power of nature.

The Good Night combines herbal melatonin with cannabidiol (CBD), a valuable ingredient from the hemp plant. Studies show that the valuable extract can be beneficial for anxiety-related disorders. When calmness enters the mind and body and anxiety dissipates, it could help you find sleep more easily. In our sleep cream, CBD functions as an active ingredient to boost the effect of the other calming and relaxing ingredients.

Melatonin can assist in shortening the time it takes to fall asleep. Your body makes melatonin to prepare you for sleep. That's why it's often referred to as the "sleep hormone." And because This Place places the highest value on high quality natural ingredients, we've chosen herbal melatonin made from highly purified, fermented St. John's wort. The Good Night is rounded off with a birch extract and a unique fragrance composition of lavender, palo santo and blue tansy.

Your personal ritual to combat insomnia

Please do not consider the following instructions as a must. Feel free to modify the ritual or develop your own. It all depends on what is best for you. Now it's time for a new chapter titled: "How to end insomnia naturally".

Step 1: About half an hour before you go to bed, go to your favorite quiet place, perhaps light a candle or put on some soothing music.

Step 2: Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for two to three seconds, and then take a long exhale through your mouth. Repeat this at least three times.

Step 3: Spread the sleep cream on your palms and consciously smell the pleasant fragrance. Notice how the cream feels in your palms and realize that this time is now all yours. If unpleasant thoughts arise, release them into the sky like balloons.

Step 4: Start by gently massaging your forearms, then your neck down to your shoulders. Focus on your thoughts and formulate positive beliefs: "I am completely relaxed. I am about to fall into a deep and restful sleep."

Step 5: Get into your bed and feel again. Enjoy the relaxation.

With this in mind, off to bed! We wish you a good night, beautiful dreams and a restful sleep!

FAQ

What to do if you can't sleep at night?

Insomnia can be addressed with a variety of measures, such as changing sleeping habits, improving sleep hygiene, or learning a relaxation technique. Rituals before bedtime can also be helpful, as these are said to be medicine for the soul, according to research.

What causes insomnia?

As a general rule, there is no single cause of insomnia. Many factors, such as stress, anger, problems and worries, are often the cause. In addition, certain medications can trigger sleep disorders as unpleasant side effects. Insomnia is also an associated symptom of many diseases (e.g. chronic pain, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, respiratory diseases, high blood pressure).

When do sleep disorders become dangerous?

Doctors speak of chronic sleep disorders (insomnia) when those affected suffer from disturbed sleep, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and poor quality of sleep on at least three days a week over a period of four weeks. The consequences of sleep deprivation can be seriously hazardous to health. Therefore, in case of insomnia, a doctor should be consulted after four weeks at the latest.