Trouble falling asleep: These 3 surprising mistakes keep us from sleeping – and how to make it better
Especially in stressful times, we often toss and turn from one side to the other in the evening – there is no trace of sleep. Then it comes, the stressed look at the clock. How many hours can I sleep if I manage to fall asleep now? Oh dear, how will tomorrow be if I sleep so little now? The vicious circle begins.
But often we are to blame for the dilemma, because we make small mistakes that prevent us from falling asleep. With the right tricks, the causes of the problems falling asleep can be easily eliminated.
Error number 1 when it comes to falling asleep: consistently not getting enough sleep
“Just a little more Netflix!”, whoosh, half the night is over. However, if you continuously sleep too little, you have lasting damage to your health – and even promote diseases such as those of the cardiovascular system. And problems falling asleep are not far away either.
The solution: At least seven hours should become a regular routine, otherwise the body will get used to less sleep. Important: Create a sleep schedule and go to bed at the same time every day. Smartphones, tablets etc. have no place in the bedroom or bed itself, they can disrupt the sleep cycle and the build-up of sleep-promoting melatonin with their blue light. Put the phone in another room, turn it off or put it on airplane mode. Do you use your cell phone as an alarm clock? That is no excuse. You can buy a watch with an alarm function for very little money. Instead, you should rely on relaxing rituals or meditation, which will help combat sleep problems better than one last round of chatting in bed.
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Mistake number 2 when having trouble falling asleep: The wrong temperature
One of the most common reasons for not falling asleep is the wrong temperature. In general, we heat too much in winter, in summer the temperature is naturally too high, and we sweat between the sheets. A consistently correct temperature, on the other hand, helps to resolve problems falling asleep.
The solution: In winter it is better to leave the heating off and fall asleep on hot-water bottles. Warm feet in particular have been proven to help you fall asleep faster. A room temperature of 18 degrees is ideal. In summer you can hang cool towels in front of the windows to lower the temperature. Another tip: Keep the blinds closed during the day so the rooms don’t heat up so much.
Mistake number 3 when having trouble falling asleep: drinking alcohol in the evening
Red wine, beer and a hot mulled wine on the terrace help you sleep? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Alcoholic drinks can have a sleepy effect and suppress worries, but they lead to an unnatural and restless sleep without real deep sleep phases. And they are important for physical and mental regeneration.