We all know it, the day has been exhausting and you are just tired and want to go to bed. But once you get there, sleep just won't come. You scroll through Instagram, watch a YouTube video and in no time another hour has passed before you fall asleep. Maybe you wake up in the night because it's too warm in the attic apartment or the noise comes in from outside. And the next morning you wake up tired again.
Sleep has long been neglected in medicine. Famous personalities such as Winston Churchill liked to boast that they only needed 4 hours of sleep, or Angela Merkel admitted in interviews that she rarely slept more than 6 hours need to. The night's sleep just seemed like a nuisance, something that kept us from being productive. The truth is exactly the opposite. Without our sleep we wouldn't be able to survive, we wouldn't be creative and our hormonal axes would be completely thrown off course.
So that you are better informed, we have compiled everything about sleep here. From new scientific studies, to tips for falling asleep and staying asleep better, to anecdotes from the lives of famous biohackers. You will find out why this group in particular pays religious attention to their sleep and tracks it with the help of various gadgets.
What is sleep anyway?
We all know that sleep is a state without conscious sensation - we experience this anew every night. But sleep is also a kind of daily recovery cure that allows our body to use all the resources available to it. Research even goes one step further and describes sleep as the cheapest and most reliable anti-aging program. Why? When we sleep, our body recovers and collects new energy for the following day. In addition, new learning is consolidated, emotions are regulated, the nervous system can develop, cells can regenerate and grow and the body can detoxify. All of these processes are influenced by some of the body's own hormones (melatonin, growth hormone, cortisone).
As positive as good sleep has on our health and longevity , the consequences are just as detrimental from poor sleep or lack of sleep. What's behind it?
Did you know?
Birds can sleep while flying. How do they do that without falling from the sky? Biology has come up with a special trick here. Birds can sleep with one side of their brain. This allows them to continue flying while one half of the brain alternates between sleeping
Why does a lack of sleep have a negative impact on health?
Striking connections arise from the increased incidence of many chronic diseases and the simultaneous decline in daily bedtime over the last 20-30 years. Many studies confirm the scientific significance of this trend. Chronic diseases include cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney failure and, with increasing frequency, mental illnesses such as depression.
A special study group was people who worked shifts and often at night, as this is the best way to demonstrate how sleep behavior adapts to these living conditions. It has been proven that the stress hormone cortisol is increased by over 35% in night workers compared to day workers. Other inflammation levels (interleukins, cytokines, C-reactive protein) are even increased by up to 95%. Little sleep means not only the general tiredness that we notice, but also, on a molecular level, an increased level of stress for the entire organism.
Did you know?
Sleep deprivation works like alcohol. According to the ADAC a driver who has not slept for 24 hours behaves like a driver with 1 per mille. No wonder that at least a quarter of all accidents on the roads are caused by fatigue.
Based on these studies, medical associations are rightly calling for a greater focus on sleep hygiene. In Germany alone, one in three people say they do not sleep well. When analyzing the study participants' bedtimes, it is often noticeable that even with a good assessment of sleep, they sleep too short. The ideal bedtime is seven to nine hours a day, which is not achieved in around 40% of cases.
“Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy, rich and wise” – Benjamin Franklin.
What is a sleep phase?
You may have heard that we have different sleep phases. Our body runs through a kind of pre-installed program as soon as we close our eyes. a sleep cycle is usually around 90 minutes long. Anyone who has had experience with wearables or fitness bands probably knows that there is such a thing as deep sleep or REM sleep. Sleep research has defined a total of 5 sleep phases that we all go through (at least 2-5) for a complete sleep cycle.
1. Awake phase:
Even during sleep there is initially a waking phase. We close our eyes and try to fall asleep. Our brain activity reduces and we begin to relax. There are also waking phases during the night - even if these take place subconsciously.
2. Sleep stage N1
The lightest sleep phase accounts for around 5-10% of our sleep and is the transition phase from wakefulness to real sleep. A well-known and typical feature of N1 sleep is the spontaneous muscle twitching that can occur when you briefly doze off.
3. Sleep stage N2
A significantly deeper sleep awaits us in the N2 phase. It makes up around 45-55% and therefore the majority of our sleep.
4. Sleep stage N3 (deep sleep)
This phase accounts for 10-25% of our sleep and is the deepest sleep phase. This is when we are hardest to wake up and the body is busiest with regeneration and processing the day's information.
5. REM sleep
REM stands for “rapid eye movement” which means “rapid eye movements”. We spend 15-25% of our sleeping time in this phase. This is characterized by intensive dreaming and the processing of emotions.
It is now clear what sleep phases are and that lack of sleep makes you sick. So how do you sleep better?
Did you know?
Some people can gain consciousness in dreams. This special type of dream is called lucid dreaming. Imagine waking up in your dream and your “dream self” realizing that you are dreaming. Sounds a little like something out of the movie Inception. The state of lucid dreaming is a desirable state for some biohackers, such as Tim Ferris. The American tries to put himself into a state of lucid dreaming using targeted techniques. He even wrote an entire manual for it.
7 practical tips for your night's sleep
Tip 1: Turn off screens in good time
For many respondents, watching TV or using other displays such as cell phones, tablets or computers is part of their evening activities. The problem is the blue light waves that activate our brain and keep us unnaturally awake. According to a recent study, this is much more problematic for preschool children than for adults. Exposure to light 1 hour before bedtime reduces melatonin levels by up to 98.7%.
In order to reduce the blue light waves, in addition to the setting options of digital devices, there are also so-called Blue light filter glasses. These typically have orange lenses and filter out the blue light waves from the incoming spectrum. So if you still have to work in the evening and still want to sleep well - give these a try. For children, light dimmers or night red lights are suitable for improving sleep.
In addition, many people tend to regularly focus on their cell phones in addition to the television. This dual activity is very stressful for the brain and prevents you from falling asleep. As a healthier alternative to Smart TV, you can pick up the classic book. If you prefer to record things differently, you can listen to audio books or podcasts - your eyes and your sleep will thank you!
Tip 2: Avoid caffeine and alcohol in good time
Many people like to drink caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea or cola. Due to the long half-life and the associated long activity of caffeine in the body, you should stop using it early in the day. Caffeine has an invigorating effect on the body and prevents you from falling asleep. The same applies to alcoholic drinks. Falling asleep easily after consuming alcohol belies the disturbed deep sleep phase.
Tip 3: Create a good sleeping environment
Important for optimal sleep is darkness, a correct room temperature and peace. You should darken the bedroom well and turn off LED lamps. If the environment is noisy, we recommend keeping the windows closed or using earplugs. You should make your snoring partner aware of this and consult a doctor about this in order to have any problems clarified. 18° – 21°C is the ideal room temperature for you. In numerous studies, a temperature that was too high or too low was the most common reason for poor sleep among participants.
Did you know?
More than half of all men and around 40 percent of all women snore. The louder the snoring, the more harmful it is – and not just for your partner. On average, people snore at 45 decibels – that roughly corresponds to quiet music. But some also manage 53 decibels or more - that corresponds to the noise of a normal conversation or a television. From 70 decibels onwards, snoring is as loud as a vacuum cleaner.
Tip 4: Set two alarm clocks
Why have two alarm clocks? So that you have 15 minutes to turn around comfortably in the morning? No, a second alarm clock can help you remember to sleep in the evening. We often spend the evening thinking about a variety of things, whether it's the last three emails that need to be answered or the laundry that still needs to be hung out. In order to finish these activities on time, it may be useful for you to set an alarm clock so that you can easily reach your sleep goal.
Tip 5: Introduce sleep rituals
Everyone has heard of humans as creatures of habit. You should take advantage of this characteristic and introduce an evening routine. A short walk an hour before going to bed, breathing exercises or meditation, or even writing a diary entry to get all your thoughts off your chest can be helpful support. It is not for nothing that it is said, “If you spend too much time dealing with tomorrow’s problems at night, you will be too tired to solve them the next day.”
Tip 6: Take action if you have trouble falling asleep
It has long been known that hops, lemon balm and valerian can help you fall asleep. Meanwhile, Melatonin has also been well researched as a dietary supplement and is a promising way for you to shorten the time it takes to actually fall asleep.
Another problem that can prevent you from falling asleep is chronic stress. If our body is constantly alert and cortisol levels are high, we find it difficult to fall asleep. A meditation before falling asleep, or a Yoga Nidra session, can help here, but also plant molecules, such as Ashwagandha , were able to reduce cortisol levels in studies.
Tip 7: Make sure you get a good night's sleep in the morning
Studies have shown that preparing for sleep in the morning can be worthwhile. You don't like meditating in the evening? Then you can alternatively start your day with it. This reduces stress throughout the day and ensures a good night's sleep. Daylight lamps offer an additional option. This makes it easier to get up, especially in the dark season. Your natural day-night cycle will benefit from this.
Did you know?
Some sea otters hold hands while they sleep so that they don't get carried away or get lost. An alternative is for the animals to wrap themselves in seaweed before going to sleep.
Fall asleep faster – which home remedies help?
Who wouldn't want to just close their eyes and fall asleep within 60 seconds. The reality is different according to the statistics. Very few people in Germany can fall asleep at such a time.
Now that we've looked at sleep hygiene in detail, let's take a look at what science says about various home remedies to help sleep. Does a glass of red wine in the evening really help, what about chamomile tea and why cherries might be a good idea, you can find out here.
Melatonin and sour cherries
Melatonin we have already briefly mentioned it. The hormone is a bit like the starting signal for us to fall asleep. When it gets dark, the pineal gland in our brain starts producing more and more melatonin until we reach a peak. This one puts us to sleep.
Unfortunately, our melatonin production is very vulnerable due to external influences. Our body reacts e.g.b to the light from our cell phone, television or tablet means that we produce less melatonin. Blue light filter glasses can mitigate this effect.
At the same time as we get older, melatonin production decreases, which makes it even more difficult for us to fall asleep. The inconspicuous cherry can provide a remedy here. Sour cherries in particular are rich in melatonin and their intake has been shown in clinical studies not only contribute to improved sleep onset, the participants also slept through the night better and had better sleep quality. However, in order for the concentration to be high enough, the participants would have had to eat more than thirty sour cherries every evening. Instead, they got a sour cherry extract containing melatonin .
In some studies, tart cherries were able to increase sleep quality and ensure higher melatonin levels.
Chamomile – a cup of tea in the evening
Chamomile tea has a calming effect and for some people a cup of tea in the evening helps them fall asleep. It is not entirely clear whether it is due to the ritual or the tea itself. The most likely cause is the secondary plant substances, like the apigenin, in chamomile tea you can relax and fall asleep better
Magnesium – often overlooked
A deficiency in micronutrients, such as magnesium, can also contribute to poorer sleep. Magnesium is required in the conversion of the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin (and later into melatonin) . If there is a lack of magnesium, which is particularly the case in older people, this can also affect sleep.
If you want to compensate for the magnesium deficiency , then you have to pay attention to which form of magnesium you take. The classic magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed and is therefore more helpful for constipation. Magnesium citrate on the other hand, has better bioavailability, but is not able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Magnesium bisglycinate is recommended here.
A deficiency of vitamins, e.g.b Vitamin D, can make it difficult to fall asleep.
A glass of red wine in the evening?
And what about a small glass of red wine in the evening? That's supposed to be healthy for the heart and helps you fall asleep better? Both claims can be scientifically refuted. Alcohol can give you the illusion of falling asleep better. However, we then do not go through the sleep phases as they are actually intended. Above all, the deep sleep phase is disturbed, so that we are not recovered the next morning. And the heart health claim is likely due to the resveratrol found in wine, rather than the wine itself.
Cannabis as a sleep aid?
Now that cannabis is also approved in Germany, what about it as a sleep aid?? Does grass make us sleep better?
The answer is not that simple because there is very different data here. In those affected by an existing sleep disorder, cannabis had the short-term effect of improving sleep. In particular, the N3 phase of sleep, i.e. the deep sleep phase, could be lengthened, while the REM sleep phase, i.e. the dream phase, was shortened.
However, this was the short-term effect. The longer those affected consumed cannabis, the longer the dream phase became (here we experience intense dreams) and the shorter the deep sleep phase in which our body recovers. In addition to the habituation effect, there were withdrawal symptoms as soon as the scientists stopped using the cannabis.
With cannabis, as with prescription sleeping pills, dependence can occur. If you suffer from sleep problems, it is best to contact experts. The field of sleep medicine deals with the topic. For most people, maintaining healthy sleep hygiene will make the biggest difference. If you want to do something else, you can use herbal preparations that do not cause withdrawal symptoms. QNIGHT connects e.g.b the benefits of ashwagandha, tart cherry extract and magnesium for better sleep. If you want to delve even deeper into the science of sleep, we can recommend Matthew Walker's book “The Big Book of Sleep” .
Until then, we wish you a good night!
