Many people have trouble falling asleep.
The Tölzer Dr.
Martin Schlott is a specialist in this field.
In an interview, he explains what his advice is for people with insomnia.
Bad Tölz
- A person spends a large part of his life in bed.
But you can't always sleep well.
For some, sleeping is even a waste of time.
A big mistake, says Tölz anesthetist and intensive care physician Dr.
Martin Schlott.
The 55-year-old has made a name for himself as a sleeper and has now written the book “Success Factor Sleep”, which came onto the market a few days ago.
Mr. Schlott, what is it about sleep that fascinates you so much?
I really like to sleep myself!
I used to not only sleep in my bed, but also eat, read and watch TV.
I haven't thought about whether that is a good thing or not.
Then I became a doctor and dealt intensively with the subject of sleep, but also with subjects such as communication, leadership and mental training.
So I came to the subject of sleep disorders and treatment methods.
Who comes to you for advice and what problems do clients complain about?
These are people from all areas, from employees to executives, but also self-employed, housewives, young parents and competitive athletes.
They all complain that they have not slept well for a long time and that they wish to regenerate better at night.
Women and men have different sleep problems
Do women and men have the same sleep problems?
There are definitely differences.
Conversations with men are often about topics such as having to perform, tension and the pressure of expectation during the day.
Women, on the other hand, often talk about their feelings of responsibility and family thoughts.
They often report that they sleep easier and get up at night to see if everyone is okay.
And menopausal women are also often affected by sleep disorders.
Each of us has slept badly at one point or another. When does one speak of a sleep disorder?
There are different symptoms.
The classic is that you have simply not been able to fall asleep for a long time or you have difficulty sleeping through the night.
Other people do not get out of bed in the morning, torment themselves through the day and notice that they lack energy, they are irritable when dealing with others and feel that it is due to poor sleep.
Then there are people who are told by their partners that they snore heavily or even have pauses in breathing.
This group, too, often does not feel well rested in the morning.
And then of course there are people who fall asleep and don't know why.
How do you define good sleep?
Good sleep is when you wake up in the morning and feel really well rested, have energy and look forward to the day, even if you know that it will bring challenges.
You feel armed and strong.
Beauty and charisma are also built up in sleep
What actually happens to the body during sleep?
To put it simply: in sleep we build up energy, our immune system is strengthened, hormones are released, the muscles and cells regenerate.
The brain is, so to speak, “flushed through” during deep sleep.
Sleeping brings order to your feelings, especially during dream sleep.
Most dreams take place during the REM sleep phase.
This phase is important for creativity.
Sleep is important for memory formation and learning, because after a good night's sleep we are more focused and receptive.
Beauty and charisma are also built up during sleep.
Bosses are better managers when they have had a good rest.
In their book, celebrities like the musician Peter Maffay, tennis player Tommy Haas and star chef Alexander Herrmann report on how they deal with sleep. Are these your clients too?
Many people ask me this question, but I don't say anything about it.
It's confidential.
Anyone who plays with their cell phone until late at night shouldn't be surprised about problems falling asleep
They write a lot about the daily rhythm and mental attitude and give tips on relaxation techniques. Why is it all so important?
As the day was, so will the night. Many people stress themselves from morning to evening and then wonder why they cannot fall asleep in the evening. In this regard, our brain is still programmed in the Stone Age and functions in the rhythm of sunlight. Anyone who sits in front of their PC for a long time in the evening or late into the night, watches TV or plays on their mobile phone need not be surprised when their thoughts continue to circulate for a long time. It makes sense to come to rest after a certain time, around 9 p.m., to prepare for sleep, to dim the light and, for example, to do a relaxation exercise. I also recommend taking a short walk in the evening, because evening light has a calming effect. Exercise is very important, even during the day. This also includes working out really hard when doing sports.
What if you are in bed after all and cannot fall asleep?
Then you should get up again and do something so that the bed is not associated with negative thoughts, because the subconscious stores such things quickly.
For example, it is helpful to write down what negative thoughts go through your head or what you are afraid of.
Then you should write down what was good today or what you are grateful for.
For example, breathing exercises or a body scan, i.e. empathizing and breathing into certain parts of the body, are also helpful.
There are many methods, you have to find the right way for yourself.
It often helps to take more breaks during the day, to minimize the driver of perfectionism and to switch off negative beliefs.
If you work at a high level all day, you won't come down in the evening.
Good sleep can be learned.
Back or stomach: which sleeping position is better?
Does it really matter whether you lie on your back, on your side or on your stomach?
Difficult question.
The main thing is that you feel good and calm down.
Sleeping on your back may be best for your spine, but many people feel uncomfortable in this position.
Not infrequently it also leads to snoring.
In the side position, i.e. in the embryonic position, the muscles shorten in the long term, so that back problems often arise.
People who sleep on their stomach, on the other hand, often have problems with their cervical spine.
But it is anyway the case that we all turn several times in the course of the night without noticing.
There are people who claim that they can get by on four hours of sleep at night. Do you think so?
I have my doubts.
Of course, the length of sleep is individual and there will be people who are genetically equipped to rest after four or five hours of sleep.
But the vast majority of people are not so endowed.
Studies show that eight hours of sleep should be the goal.
Seniors often report that they sleep worse and shorter as they get older and that they do not feel rested in the morning. What do you advise them to do?
Yes, sleep changes over the course of life. Studies show that seniors have less deep sleep, they produce significantly less melatonin. It usually starts like this from the age of 60. Provided that other health problems are excluded, I recommend introducing a fixed daily and sleep rhythm. That would be to always get up at a certain time and go to bed and take an afternoon nap, which should not be longer than 25 minutes and before 3 p.m. so that you then build up sleep pressure again for the evening. It is also important to exercise outdoors during the day to soak up sunlight. Social contacts and the feeling of being needed are also important. Anyone who has the feeling in the evening that it was a valuable day sleeps better. Incidentally, this applies to every age group.
Sleep problems: The moon can't help it
Does the moon affect our sleep?
Many people report that they sleep worse when the moon is full.
Studies show no connection with the moon here.
On October 31st, the clocks will be changed again in Europe. What do you think of the time change?
I advocate abolishing them!
Studies have shown that if an hour is taken away from us during the spring changeover, there will be 25 percent more heart attacks on the following Monday.
In autumn it is the other way around, there are 25 percent fewer heart attacks.
If I could decide, I would permanently introduce winter time, because then we live in our circadian rhythm, i.e. in the biologically programmed day-night rhythm.
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