Enjoying nature, exchanging ideas with others, acquiring new knowledge - life offers many varied activities. But what is needed for all of this is energy. And we get this not only from food or warmth, but also from sleep. So it´s no wonder that we spend an average of a third of our lives sleeping. During this time we process impressions from the day, store them in our brains and growth hormones are released. But sleep is also important for many physical processes to function smoothly, such as metabolism and the immune system.
3 exciting sleep facts
First the bad news: According to a study, Austrians sleep alarmingly little. On average, one in three women under 30 complain of sleep problems, and among those over 30, the figure is more than two thirds. One in three men under 30 also sleeps badly, and among men over 60, 45 percent reported sleep problems. The most common reason given: stress at work. Those are the facts. But there is even more exciting news:
Away with the clothes, into bed: Sleeping naked - that's something many people love. According to the international IKEA comparative study, 55 percent of Austrians believe that they sleep better this way. For comparison: for the Swiss this figure is 45 percent, and the Germans 41 percent. The question now is whether this could even be healthy. The answer is: yes and no. There are no representative studies on this. However, the fact that the body naturally lowers its temperature in order to fall asleep at night speaks in favor of sleeping naked - and it does this better naked than in pajamas. Airy sleepwear also ensures better air circulation.
longing for the cool bedroom: Opinions also differ when it comes to temperature: 89 percent of Austrians say they prefer a cool room, while 11 percent like warm temperatures. A recent study has now revealed that the ideal temperature for sleeping is between 18 and 25 degrees. A considerable range that shows how individual sleep is. What has also been proven: At least some material is good for us humans, so either light sleepwear and/or a sheet. The reason: during the dream phase, temperature regulation does not work, which increases the risk of hypothermia. The other extreme, namely when we sweat, is just as detrimental.
Long Day, Short Night: Six to eight hours of sleep is considered the ultimate. And most Austrians stick to it. For 29 percent, the day begins at 6 a.m., but many go to bed before midnight, and 13 percent even go before 10 p.m. By comparison, our neighbors in Germany and Switzerland go to bed a little later. In this context, the sleep myth that says that sleeping before midnight is healthier holds up well. But the fact is that it's not the time of day that matters, but rather that we get enough deep sleep - and the amount of deep sleep tends to decrease towards the morning.
3 Sleep Myths and What's Behind Them
The thing about sleeping before midnight is just one of many myths that surround this topic. Reason enough to look at three more in detail:
Is yawning contagious? Yawning when we are tired - we all know that. But some of us also yawn when we see someone else yawn. Researchers at the University of Nottingham assume that this tendency is contagious and is linked to the excitability of nerve cells in the motor cortex. This is the area of the brain that controls motor skills. Or to put it another way: contagious yawning is an echo phenomenon - we automatically imitate movements that we see others make. But not everyone is affected by it. It is assumed that empathetic people are more likely to be infected by it.
Can you catch up on sleep? We all know the feeling: the week is full of schedules, and sleep has to wait. But if the sleep deficit increases, not only does the ability to concentrate decrease, but in the long term this can lead to serious health problems. That's why many people hole up at the weekend and want to catch up on sleep. So far, however, there are no study findings that prove that this is effective - in fact, studies even prove the opposite, namely that catching up on sleep cannot compensate for the consequences of a deficit, such as metabolic disorders.
Are afternoon naps healthy? First eat, then off to dreamland – many people don't want to miss their regular midday nap anymore. And that's a good thing, because the University of Massachusetts has found that a nap can have a positive effect on learning ability at any age. Children and young adults in particular benefit from it. However, the effect decreases with age. And: the siesta shouldn't be too long so as not to disrupt your sleep rhythm. Naps between 10 and 20 minutes are ideal.
The hammock as an optimal place for regeneration
Whether it's a night's sleep or an afternoon nap - not only the bed is ideal for all of this, but also our products. The gentle rocking motions encourage you to fall asleep and can therefore have a positive effect on the quality of your sleep. And not just in your own four walls, but also outside in the warmer months. The Maya and Inca already knew that - and we know it here in the Mühlviertel too. So it's worth swapping the bed for a hammock every now and then.