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43 percent of Germans struggle with sleep problems.
April 26, 2025
Petra Harms
Counting sheep is a thing of the past. On social media, you can find innovative sleep hacks - from the military sleep method to eye rolling. But what truly helps to optimize sleep and wake up more refreshed? An expert provides insight
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Restful sleep is important for the regeneration of the body, the repair of cells, the cardiovascular system, muscle building, overall performance and concentration ability, and the psyche. Those who do not get enough sleep over the long term may suffer as a result from weight gain, strokes, diabetes, and depression.
It is all the more critical that 43 percent of Germans (45 percent of people worldwide) struggle with sleep problems. Whether waking up in the middle of the night or not being able to find rest in the first place - the distress is great, and the number of approaches to solutions is enormous. They range from breathing techniques to CIA methods to cocktails and moves that are more likely to be found in the zoo than in bed.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique by alternative medicine practitioner Andrew Weil is supposed to work like a natural tranquilizer. You lie in bed, inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds – repeating this sequence four times. This is supposed to lower the pulse and transport carbon dioxide out of the body. After six weeks, the body is said to be programmed for relaxation with this rhythm.
The yoga alternate nostril breathing, Nadi Shodana, is also supposed to calm. You alternately breathe through only one nostril: in through the left, out through the right, in through the right, out through the left, and so on. The other nostril is closed with the fingers. Moon breathing (Chandra Bhedana) works similarly: inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and thus reduce stress and blood pressure.
Professor Dieter Riemann, Executive Board Member of the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM), has researched insomnia and chronic sleep disorders for over 40 years and knows "Breathing techniques are good relaxation exercises. Anything that distracts from nighttime brooding can help to (re) find sleep."
Whether it has to be specific breathing intervals? There is no evidence for this. The psychologist has had positive experiences with exercises from cognitive behavioural therapy and uses, for example, aside from healthy sleep hygiene (no alcohol, appropriate room temperature, regular rest periods), soothing mental images like a gently flickering candle.
Navy Seals, scientists, and agents are shrouded in mystery. It is not surprising, then, that the following three methods are going viral. Within two minutes, you are supposed to fall asleep using the Military Sleep Method, where you initially relax the facial muscles, jaw, and tongue consciously while lying down and breathe calmly.
Then, the relaxation wanders down the body. Shoulders are lowered, arms are stretched out, and legs are relaxed up to the toes. Whenever thoughts are distracted, you should say to yourself: "Don't think." "The idea is based on a mix of autogenic training and Progressive Muscle Relaxation and can actually have a calming effect," says Professor Riemann.
Cognitive Shuffling was invented by Canadian psychologist Luc Beaudoin. The method aims to gently occupy the brain during the falling asleep phase by choosing and visualizing a word freely, then forming additional terms from the letters and reviewing them in the mind's eye. From fruit, for example: oasis, object, oligarch... baby, bamboo, Ballermann, and so on.
The CIA variant comes from a published document from 2003 and suggests lying in bed, breathing deeply five times through the nose into the belly, and then counting to 20. Allegedly, most people are asleep by 12. So simple? "No. The CIA hack is complete nonsense," says Professor Riemann, but the thought mixing sounds more serious. "Ultimately, it's nothing more than counting sheep. Both can help to slow down the carousel of thoughts. However, anyone who reaches the 7531st sheep or the hundredth word with O without falling asleep needs professional help for long-standing sleep problems."
It is completely normal, on the other hand, to wake up once at night from the age of 50. As you get older, deep sleep phases occur less frequently, and the sleep-wake rhythm changes.
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Better sleep: Has the time-honored practice of counting sheep become obsolete?
Not only numbers, but also certain movements are supposed to ensure a restful night. Eye Rolling is a huge TikTok favorite: With closed lids, look up several times – et voilà – you sleep through the night. Dr. Heather Gordon's trick is said to boost melatonin production and imitate the REM sleep phase.
The lower extremities are also involved: With the Cricket Feet, the feet are rubbed against each other to improve circulation and balance the energy flow in the body. The Drunken Monkey, on the other hand, is much more active. Here you stand with your legs apart, move your hips left and right, roll your shoulders, and circle your arms at the same time. The idea behind this approximately one-minute exercise is that blood circulation to the extremities is stimulated, allowing better relaxation and sleep through the night.
Even with open curtains, the Anmian massage can be done. The depression is located about 2.5 centimeters behind the earlobe and is a classic acupuncture point that, according to TCM, must be pressed for about 30 seconds to relieve stress and find sleep. Professor Riemann: "Acupuncture does not work against sleep disorders; this is scientifically proven."
The further hacks are held by the expert for internet phenomena, which lack any scientific basis. "But they do no harm either and you can safely try them out. Studies show that the placebo effect is significant in sleep disorders."
Magnesium is the new melatonin on social media. It is said to have a relaxing effect on the muscles and thus prepare the body for nightly rest and regeneration, and it is also said to help lower cortisol and thus stress levels. The best is 800 to 1600 milligrams of magnesium orotate or glycinate.
The name "Sleepy Girl" Mocktail promises a bit more glamour. Here, sour cherry juice, tonic water or lemonade, and also magnesium powder are mixed into a sleep drink. "We have examined the effectiveness of magnesium and could not find a link with sleep performance," explains sleep expert Riemann. More: The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommends a maximum daily amount of only 250 milligrams; if you take in magnesium without deficiency, you risk diarrhea, blood pressure drop, and muscle weakness.
