Schlafstoerung - Insomnia

Sleep Disorders / Insomnia

When sleep is no longer naturally restorative

Sleep is much more than a period of rest. While we sleep, important processes of regeneration and adaptation take place. Persistent sleep disturbances can therefore have a significant impact on quality of life.

Many people experience one or more of the following:

  • Difficulty falling asleep in the evening
  • Repeatedly waking up during the night
  • Regularly waking around 2 or 3 a.m. and being unable to fall asleep again
  • Frequently needing to get up to urinate during the night
  • Waking too early in the morning
  • Appearing to get enough sleep but still feeling unrefreshed
  • Restless legs or an urge to move that prevents falling asleep

Not all sleep disorders are the same. It is therefore important to look more closely at each person’s individual situation.

There are many possible causes

Sleep can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including stress and inner tension, pain, hormonal changes, digestive problems, medications, alcohol, an irregular sleep-wake rhythm, or insufficient physical activity.

Physical illnesses can also affect sleep. Conversely, prolonged sleep deprivation can reduce both physical and psychological resilience.

This is why, particularly when symptoms persist, it can be useful to take a holistic approach.

Restless Legs – when the legs cannot keep still

A frequently underestimated cause of sleep problems is Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

People affected by RLS experience an unpleasant urge to move their legs, particularly in the evening or at night. Some describe tingling, pulling, burning, or a difficult-to-describe feeling of inner restlessness. Movement often provides temporary relief.

Restless Legs can make it considerably more difficult to fall asleep and can lead to repeated awakenings. The condition has been extensively studied and is also addressed in current international guidelines on sleep medicine.

When such symptoms are present, it is therefore worth also looking for possible underlying physical factors.

Not only the person – the sleeping environment matters too

When dealing with sleep disorders, attention is often focused exclusively on the individual. From a naturopathic perspective, however, it can also be interesting to consider the immediate environment around the sleeping area.

This includes everyday factors such as:

  • Light and noise
  • Room temperature and air quality
  • Mattress and sleeping position
  • Electrical devices in the immediate surroundings
  • Use of smartphones, tablets or computers in the evening
  • Daily rhythm and habits

In addition, naturopathic approaches have for many years discussed so-called geopathic influences, earth radiation and underground water veins.

Underground water veins and geopathic zones

In naturopathic contexts, the term “underground water vein” refers to certain zones in the ground that are believed to potentially influence human beings.

However, the scientific evidence in this area is not conclusive. There are only a small number of relevant studies, and there is no generally accepted scientific evidence that underground water veins cause sleep disorders.

Nevertheless, this subject has been investigated scientifically. A randomized, double-blind study involving 52 people compared two zones identified by experienced dowsers. The researchers found differences between the zones in one physiological parameter they measured. However, the study cannot be regarded as proof that underground water veins cause illness or sleep disorders.

Another randomized study involving 26 people investigated so-called “geopathic stress zones” and found a difference in subjective well-being, while the performance parameters examined did not show corresponding differences. These findings are likewise insufficient to establish a general health effect.

For me, this means: Such possible influences should neither automatically be regarded as established facts nor necessarily dismissed outright. When the cause of sleep problems remains unclear, the sleeping environment can be considered as one additional factor.

Electromagnetic fields

The possible effects of technical influences on sleep are also being scientifically investigated. These include mobile communications, Wi-Fi and other high-frequency electromagnetic fields.

The research to date does not provide a simple answer. Some experimental studies have reported changes in certain parameters of sleep physiology, while others have found no clear effects.

I therefore believe it is important to distinguish between scientifically established findings and individual experiences, rather than prematurely assuming a particular cause of sleep problems.

What I consider in my practice

When dealing with sleep disorders, my aim is not to find a single cause that is assumed to be responsible for everyone.

Instead, I consider a number of different aspects, including:

Your sleep pattern:
When did the problems begin? How often do you wake during the night? Are there particular times when you regularly wake up?

Your physical condition:
Are there other symptoms? Do you experience pain, digestive problems, hormonal changes or other abnormalities?

Your personal circumstances:
How much stress are you currently experiencing? What does your daily rhythm look like? How much exercise, nutrition and recovery time are part of your everyday life?

Your sleeping environment:
Are there any noticeable environmental factors that coincide with your sleep problems?

Based on this overall assessment, individual naturopathic measures can be selected.

Sometimes, simply trying small changes and observing whether they affect sleep quality can already provide useful information.

Rediscovering sleep as a source of recovery

Not every bad night constitutes a sleep disorder. However, if sleep problems persist over a longer period and you feel tired, exhausted or less able to cope during the day, it is worth taking a closer look.

Good sleep depends on many different factors. It can therefore be useful to consider not only sleep itself, but the person, their individual circumstances and their sleeping environment as a whole.

If you suffer from difficulty falling asleep, frequent night-time awakenings, waking too early or non-restorative sleep, we can look together at possible connections and consider which naturopathic approaches may be appropriate for your individual situation.

Scientific literature

  • Hacker G.W. et al. (2005): Biomedical evidence of influence of geopathic zones on the human body.
  • Augner C., Hacker G.W., Jekel I. (2010): Geopathic stress zones: short-term effects on work performance and well-being?
  • AASM / current literature on the treatment of chronic insomnia: Sleep medicine considers behavioural approaches such as CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) to be an important component in the treatment of chronic insomnia.