- 5 days ago
Sleep disorders are becoming an increasing problem for young and old alike. Stress, not enough relaxation, and poorly timed meals can disrupt rest. In Good Shape shows what you can do during the day to help get a good night's sleep.
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00:00your heart races your knees go all wobbly you're on cloud nine it must be love how wonderful but
00:16people in the first flush of love get less shut-eye 90 minutes less than singletons or
00:22established couples on average I wonder why interestingly the study also found that even
00:32though people in love slept less they felt better rested they weren't as tired during the day and
00:38were more focused do you want to sleep better and wake up feeling bright and breezy even if you're
00:46not in the first flush of a new love well stay tuned for in good shape
00:52do you find it difficult to drop off or to sleep through the night if that happens at least three
01:13times a week over more than three months doctors classify it as a sleep disorder 30-year-old novel
01:19banali has had one for years and no physical cause has been found the sleep disorder started when I
01:29was 19 and studying maybe that's a time when people feel a kind of existential stress I remember that
01:36money was very short at the time and they're also the years when you're really planning your future
01:42Michael Feld is a sleep researcher there are several reasons why young people don't wind down in the
01:53evening he says the first reason is the overall rise in pressure stress anxiety we live in uncertain
02:00times with fears of war and job anxiety and so on the second could be increased consumption of
02:06stimulants caffeine and energy drinks and the third is the consumption of digital media especially
02:12before going to bed some studies say the blue light from screens may delay the onset of sleep and
02:20information overload sparks stress you should switch off at least an hour before bed herbal remedies or
02:27melatonin the natural sleep hormone in tablet form might also help you could give it a try but not
02:36during puberty if you're over 18 you can try it for four weeks just don't do it during puberty because
02:42melatonin can have side effects at that age so what about sleep aids even if some experts advise against it
02:52some people use their cell phones to help them relax I usually watch a few relaxation videos on YouTube
02:59I listen to podcasts or the like there's a trick where you tense your body and relax it again then I put
03:06on some music and try again if I really can't sleep I just have to read a real book that makes me tired
03:12right away novel Ben Ali has been sleeping better since he started meditating I now usually wake up two to
03:20three times a night and that's actually very very good for me because I haven't slept through the
03:24night since October 2013. Sleep disorders are tough and so is identifying their root causes but usually it
03:34can be traced back to what happens during the day. Do you sleep poorly? A consistent routine could help like
03:44getting up and going to bed at the same time each day and enjoying as much natural light as possible
03:52in the evening steer clear of heated discussions gripping films and doom scrolling instead you might go
04:00for a short walk by sticking to the same rituals your body gets accustomed to winding down and lullabies have
04:08a similar soothing rhythm the world over they can also help adults drop off more quickly and sleep
04:15better too whereas alcohol might make you feel dozy it often leads to a restless night and your evening
04:24meal can also affect how you sleep Elena likes cooking and she frequently eats late I have to admit that I
04:38tend to cook very late often at 10 p.m. and this is later than my friends I also cook myself proper meals not just a small snack
04:49I make a pasta dish or a pizza
04:56Elena usually goes to bed one to two hours after eating she frequently finds it difficult to fall asleep
05:02and the 34 year old also doesn't sleep through the night
05:12I often wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep and to be honest I sometimes get up again
05:18go into the kitchen and make myself another snack I wish I could get a better night's sleep
05:24that's why Elena has an appointment at the sleep clinic her sleep is going to be monitored
05:35for a night using a mobile device that she can take with her so she can stick to her usual evening
05:40and bedtime routine this is for the brain yes
05:47the sensors measure Elena's brain activity heart rate eye movement breathing and muscle tension while
05:56she's asleep it will show how quickly she fell asleep and how well she slept
06:06the next day doctor and sleep researcher can again your richter takes a closer look at Elena's data
06:12I can see here it took you about an hour to fall asleep it could be linked to your maybe eating
06:20something heavy before going to bed what did you eat I had stuffed potato cakes with salad
06:27here in a restaurant in Nuremberg salad isn't so good most people can't cope with uncooked vegetables
06:34before bed the intestine needs much more energy to digest them than it does for cooked vegetables
06:42that's not ideal as the gut also needs to get some rest at night
06:48our brain and gut are closely connected and at night when we sleep our brain should recover in
06:54parallel with our gut so if we eat at night or before going to bed we simply stress our gut
07:03the sleep researcher recommends avoiding snacks altogether and only eating something light in the
07:09evening there's research on how meals affect the quality of sleep we know that small meals with
07:16protein and a little carbohydrate can really promote sleep and have a calming effect
07:25vegetable proteins are good because they are easy to digest dairy products fruits such as bananas or
07:32blueberries dark chocolate nuts and pulses also contain particularly high levels of the amino acid
07:39tryptophan it's especially important for sleep because the body converts tryptophan into serotonin once
07:46it's been absorbed serotonin brightens your mood during the day and can have a calming effect when it gets dark the
07:56body converts the available serotonin into the sleep hormone melatonin we become sleepy at night the
08:04concentration of melatonin increases up to tenfold
08:10at the german institute of human nutrition olga ramich and her team are investigating the connection
08:16between metabolism and sleep the fact that people eat and sleep at different times is also due to our
08:22internal clock she says there are people who get up early are active earlier and also like to go to
08:30bed earlier they're referred to as larks and there are people who tend to wake up later become more active
08:38later in the day are perhaps not hungry in the morning and tend to eat instead several meals in the
08:44evening and go to bed later they're what we call owls eating late also increases the risk of diabetes and
08:55metabolic diseases owls in particular need to change their habits owls could try eating breakfast in the
09:03morning even small quantities so as to shift all those calories forward a little and they should try not
09:10to eat large meals so late in the evening before bed and eat dinner a little earlier and above all
09:17they should try to get plenty of exercise outdoors because sunlight can also shift all these internal
09:23rhythms forward a little three weeks have now passed elena has changed her diet she's trying to eat
09:36smaller portions in the evening and to get plenty of light during the day i now eat a bit earlier and
09:44slightly different things i've also been making a big effort to go out in the afternoon to get
09:49some sunshine and i'm sleeping a bit better elena plans to stick with it she hopes it will continue to
10:00boost her daytime energy levels you've fallen out with your girlfriend your boss shouted at you
10:10you're terrified of flunking your driving test stressful situations like these make it hard to relax
10:17but some people feel constantly under stress that often leads to poor sleep which triggers more stress
10:25it's a vicious cycle a hobby might help you relax or yoga and breathing exercises if they don't work try
10:36giving this a go this is where the trembling slowly begins so move your knees a centimeter closer together
10:45exactly and hold there perfect course participants are consciously making their muscles tremble
10:54the aim is to release pressure and tension i do a typical office job so neck and back tension are a
11:03frequent problem this exercise is a great way to first tense up and then relax
11:11instructor johanna schaefer guides the participants through the exercises to make your body tremble you
11:17first have to put certain muscles under a lot of strain tre is the name of this method tension and
11:24trauma releasing exercises it's a way of dealing with all manner of stress and tension many people
11:31perceive trembling as something negative we tremble out of fear cold or fury but it can also act as a
11:37safety valve for the body animals show us how to do this when an animal is being chased by a larger
11:45animal a deer by a wolf a gazelle by a lion you can observe that if the animal doesn't get eaten
11:51if it escapes then it goes somewhere and starts trembling it automatically trembles so it can channel
11:57this stress outwards this fear of death from the chase learning to shake like this is relatively easy
12:06it sets in naturally at some point some need a little more practice than others and we push the
12:12pelvis forward a little and imagine we want to touch the wall in front of us with our stomach
12:17and if it's already shaking it's just right great tre was developed in the 1990s by the u.s psychotherapist
12:25david berselli he was looking for a way in which people traumatized by war or natural disasters could
12:31help themselves it turned out that tre also reduces stress relaxes and improves sleep
12:37i can already feel something very good you won't need too much longer instructor johanna schaefer trained
12:48as a fashion designer and worked in the industry for 10 years her last job was in a very stressful
12:54management position then she learned about neurogenic tremors on a trip to thailand
12:59she learned the technique and has been giving courses ever since you can also find instructions
13:07on the internet for example on youtube about how to do it after 10 minutes the participants have
13:13achieved what they wanted to i have the feeling that everything is flowing freely from head to toe
13:22that's what i like about it because usually i feel my body is blocked i can imagine doing it more
13:30frequently to help with my adhd it can't be compared to trembling with cold i thought that at the
13:37beginning that it would feel like that but it's much more intense practice frequently the technique is
13:45said to help with back pain and tension after a few weeks sleep disorders often disappear
13:51eileen cimali is here for the first time today somehow it's not working for her
13:58maybe i was too caught up in my own thoughts and wanted to do everything right and just couldn't let
14:02go surrender to the shaking and let go of stress professionals like johanna can do this without
14:09any lead-in exercises for her tre is the new yoga some people have a bad night's sleep and blame
14:19disturbing dreams but it's actually daytime stress that often triggers those dreams
14:26everyone dreams several times a night even if you don't always remember
14:33these are some of the most common dreams no matter where you come from
14:37you're being chased or you're late for an important appointment you have an out-of-the-box sexual
14:46experience you're back at school or you're falling
14:52some people are even aware that they're dreaming while it's happening
15:05it might look like they're rehearsing dance moves but it's all in the name of science the dream group at
15:11the university of osnabrück is training for the night they want to take control of their dreams
15:23a lucid dream is a dream in which you realize you're dreaming you sleep you dream and suddenly
15:29you realize okay what's happening is a dream lucid dreaming was first mentioned in ancient times
15:39but it's only been scientifically researched and acknowledged since the 1980s
15:46many people have probably occasionally experienced a lucid dream before
15:53i rarely have lucid dreams but when i do i find it a very special exciting very crazy state but crazy
16:01in a positive way katerina loot is also scientifically interested in this fascinating phenomenon
16:08the cognitive scientist wants to know how long does it take to learn to dream lucidly what happens in
16:15the brain when we know that we are dreaming
16:19to find this out she sent 20 test subjects to the sleep laboratory
16:28they were all inexperienced participants they don't frequently dream lucidly but they were keen to learn
16:34they're woken up in the morning and then listen to an hour of affirmations brief phrases designed to
16:41help them develop the skill and they're told to move their eyes left and right while they're sleeping
16:50to indicate when they're having a lucid dream
16:52we watched on the computer whether the person used the previously agreed eye signal left right left
17:01right and it worked for 10 out of 20. katerina loot is not the only one interested in this subject
17:12there is a dream and sleep group at the university that regularly discusses lucid dreams
17:17alina orna sorge started having them when she was a child and she can consciously influence what's
17:22happening in her dreams i can do exciting things that wouldn't be possible in real life
17:30sometimes i fly into space i was on mars i found that very exciting too but it was very lonely
17:37i also use lucid dreams to process things i've experienced during the day for example to resolve
17:43conflict situations you can also practice skills very well in dreams this is exactly what lucid dreaming
17:52research focuses on because becoming consciously aware during sleep could help with nightmares stress
17:59and psychosis good dream recall is the first step towards learning lucid dreaming
18:05the second step is to start questioning reality thinking several times a day is this a dream or is it real
18:15life by looking at your hands for example and thinking okay i have 10 fingers that look completely normal
18:21so i'm probably awake in a dream something else might appear an 11th finger or the fingers are suddenly green
18:28jumping when you're awake is another reality check that can help you catch yourself out at night
18:37because dreams don't usually follow the rules of gravity
18:41and when they don't the dreamer will realize this must be a dream
18:46over 70 years we spend roughly six years dreaming about 150 000 dreams yet we still don't really know why we dream
19:01maybe it's a way for the brain to consolidate memories nightmares though are a different story
19:08they often wake us up and can become a regular occurrence experts call this a nightmare disorder
19:15frequent nightmares can even be a forewarning of alzheimer's but mostly they're a sign we just haven't
19:22processed negative experiences many of us are glass half empty thinkers which can affect our sleep
19:31if you want to sleep better it could help to focus on the positive enjoyable things in life
19:38practicing gratitude can teach you how
19:4623 year old kati muller had a rare type of cancer as a child
19:51chemotherapy damaged her heart so badly that she needed a heart transplant in 2019
19:56then she contracted a virus which put her new heart at risk
20:03over the years kati has learned to cope for example by writing a gratitude diary
20:08at the moment i always write down in the evening what made me happy during the day what i'm grateful
20:18for it helps especially when the bad days come reading my diary gives me strength
20:23i think it's very very difficult to cope alone and sometimes you need the courage and strength of
20:39others to help keep fighting
20:55but why do we so often focus on the negative and ignore the positive
21:00this habit may have been vital for our ancestors survival says brain researcher martin quarter
21:08there are probably evolutionary reasons for it it's probably better to ignore something positive
21:13than to ignore a dangerous animal that's where our tendency to focus on the negative probably comes from
21:21but constantly looking at the negative stresses us out and makes us sleep badly that's why it's worth
21:27focusing on the positive when we experience gratitude the frontal lobes of the brain are activated
21:35this area of the brain also serves and controls the brain's reward centers
21:40and triggers the release of positive feel-good substances the endorphins and the opioids
21:50gratitude has an effect on the brain's reward system
21:53what's more it also stimulates important areas that foster social bonds grateful people have happier
22:00relationships and make friends more easily they also sleep better and can deal better with stressful events
22:11the tendency to think negatively and experience feelings such as envy are suppressed by gratitude
22:17but there are limits gratitude training is not suitable for everyone and is not appropriate at all times
22:26if you're having a serious crisis you've just received a life-threatening diagnosis
22:31someone close to you has died then you'll feel sadness disappointment anger and fear
22:38if at some point over time it becomes possible to see rays of hope individual glimmers for which you're grateful
22:44so much the better but you shouldn't force that onto someone else
22:52kati spends a lot of time at the clinic getting examinations and treatment
22:57the exercises her therapist showed her help her cope and help her sleep
23:05i think mindfulness is the right approach living in the here and now and not looking too far ahead
23:10some things can't be planned and some situations don't work out the way you want them to
23:16but you can still enjoy the moment and be grateful for it
23:23most of all kati likes being out in nature forgetting about daily hospital life
23:28and recharging her batteries always with her the thought of her heart donor
23:33i feel grateful to my organ donor of course without that i probably wouldn't be here
23:40of course that's where i feel the greatest gratitude
23:44because the gift well life is like a gift there's no bigger gratitude than that
23:49for kati miller gratitude has helped her enjoy life despite the setbacks she's faced
24:03gratitude is a skill you can learn our in-house trainer tim has a simple exercise that can help with
24:09a night time whoa painful calf cramps here's how hi nice to see you today now we're doing great but
24:20simple exercise which helps you or prevents cramps in your calves all you need is this the tennis ball
24:29first of all sit down you need something which is kind of stable let's just take this world place
24:35the ball in this little hole so the ball can't roll away now i place my calf onto the ball until i find
24:43a sweet spot which is a little bit painful i start rolling and circling my foot when i pull the foot
24:54towards me i feel a difference in this sweet spot and really do 10 to 12 rotations with your whole foot
25:02and if you have some issues with cramps in the calves start to do it on a daily basis and learn to
25:15like this bittersweet pain if an acute cramp in the calf happens we do a classic exercise which will
25:27relieve your pain immediately therefore you need just the wall you place your hands on the wall and
25:33the foot where the cramp happened comes backwards and keep your leg straight and then you intensify
25:40the stretch while getting closer to the wall with your whole body there might happen is a pain in your
25:46calf and then you'll leave slightly to stretch while going backwards keep on stretching until your cramp is gone
25:54we wish you sweet dreams and see you next time on in good shape bye bye
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