Sleeping problems occur in all age groups, even though the older people suffer increasingly. Person affected experience their sleeping disorders as unpredictable and they don’t know what to do, which is a very unpleasant state.
A vicious circle emerges quickly: The fear of bad sleep and the consequences and also the contraproductive dealing with the disturbance intensify the problem and it turns to a chronic disease.
An objective analysis of the own sleep helps to better assess the problem. Information, analysis and cause study create a base to geta grip on the sleeping problems and break through the negative feeling of helplessness.
A sleep problem - medically regarded - belongs to the group of sleeplessness, also called insomnia.
This means having problems to fall asleep, to sleep continuously and also to wake up to early. According to statistics about 45 percent are suffering from insomnia, especially the elderly.
The biorhythm of the affected person changes because of the sleep-awake-regulation (sleeping rhythm).
A too short sleep phase or a lack of the REM sleep (”deep sleep”) can lead to other problems, such as tiredness, concentration problems or aggressive behaviour on the next day. Constant insomnia can lead to interference of the accomplishment and even to depressions.
Here are some points when you should seek a doctor:
- If you sleep less than 5 hours more than 3 times a week and this over a month.
- If you need more than half an hour to fall asleep or if you wake up more than 4 times in the night and hardly be able to fall asleep again.
- If you suffer from continuous tiredness over the day.
- If the cause is a serious psychological reasons ( anxiety, depression ).
- If the cause is physical (e.g.: difficulty in breathing, strong snorring)