Psychologie-Praxis Stefan Siegfried – Online Strategy

Alongside headaches, sleep disorders are one of the most widespread psychosomatic complaints, with an estimated 20-25% of the adult population in Switzerland suffering from clinically significant sleep disorders with subsequent impairment of performance or concentration the following day. Sleep disorders are considered clinically significant if they last for at least 4 weeks; in reality, two thirds of those affected have been suffering from a sleep disorder for more than a year, and one third for more than 5 years. Of course, a doctor must be consulted in the case of pain-related sleep disorders, breathing disorders (sleep apnoea) or movement disorders during sleep (restless legs), but anyone who suffers from the aforementioned problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night, nightmares or startled awakenings should consider a sustainable and non-pharmacological solution to their sleep problems. The same applies to people who do not sleep well due to shift work. However, taking a closer look at sleep is still rarely used as a way of dealing with insomnia. It is far more common to combat symptoms with sleeping pills. There is still a lack of non-pharmacological forms of treatment; patients are often given medication whose side effects, in addition to the risk of dependency, lead to impairments such as drowsiness, listlessness or only a gradual increase in performance the next day. As sleep disorders can have many different individual causes, the first step is to compare the patient’s self-assessment with the actual sleeping and waking times by means of a sleep log at home. Patients often have the impression that a sleep disorder has taken on a life of its own after a certain period of time and that sleep is unpredictable, sometimes good, but usually bad. It is precisely this apparent uncontrollability of sleep that leads sufferers to try to get the sleep they need by taking additional rest periods or spending longer in bed. This gradually creates a vicious circle, as the ratio of sleeping times to bedtimes becomes increasingly unfavorable (less than 90% is considered problematic). Brooding and worrying about the consequences of the sleep disorder exacerbate and fixate it. An efficient solution is to relearn healthy sleep behavior: If disturbed sleep has been gradually “learned” and conditioned, it can also be relearned with the right measures. The behavioral therapy-based sleep training developed by Müller and Paterok at the University of Münster can be used here. The evaluation of sleep logs creates an individual sleep profile, which can be modified by controlling bedtimes and sleep duration. In this way, initial successes quickly become visible and the person concerned realizes that sleep can be successful again. Of course, there is no denying that sleep can also be an indicator of other existing stresses such as work-related stress, conflicts, anxiety, unresolved problems or physical illnesses.

The possibility of substantially improving recovery during the night with sleep training and thus having more energy and resources available again paves the way for eliminating or changing other unfavorable life circumstances: those who sleep well can significantly increase their resilience and confidence through the strength they draw from it.

The non-pharmacological, behavioral therapy-based treatment of sleep disorders is offered in Bern by the specialist psychologist FSP Stefan Siegfried, Gutenbergstrasse 31, more information can be found at www.psychologie-siegfried.ch. If you have any questions or would like a non-binding consultation, please contact him directly on: 031-381 09 09 / 076-284 94 87 or info@psychologiesiegfried.ch Rettenmund Solutions supported psychology Siegfried in the following areas:

• Web conception and implementation of mobile-compatible website
• Online strategies
• SEO optimizations & implementation strategies

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