Sleep should be a relaxing activity that gives you the energy you need to get through the next day. Yet there are many people who experience sleep problems and insomnia, which greatly affects their entire lives.

What are sleeping problems?

Sleep problems have a bad influence on your lifestyle and can have serious consequences such as insomnia. In the first 3 hours of your sleep cycle you are in a deep sleep. At that time we produce growth hormones. However, in children with sleep deprivation, this can cause a disturbed production of growth hormone and can have consequences such as dwarfism.

Sleep problems increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in adults. Waking up at night creates stress, because you produce more adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol. As a result, you increase the risk of high blood pressure and you can have a heart attack or stroke. Recent research also showed that a bad night's sleep affects your immune system, putting you at an increased risk of diabetes and colon cancer.

How do sleeping problems arise?

There are a number of causes that can influence sleep problems:

• Tensions/worrying: constant thinking about everything makes your head tired and also your body, so you can't sleep.

• Alcohol consumption and caffeine: alcohol consumption ensures that you fall asleep faster, but that your night's rest is less deep and that you sleep much more restlessly. Caffeine stimulates your breathing, nervous system and heartbeat, making you less likely to fall asleep.

• Stress: stress causes tension and your body produces adrenaline, which makes your body alert and stay awake.

• Blue light: using your mobile phone, laptop or TV before going to sleep can affect your night's sleep.

• Physical problems: think of sleep apnea, pain, shortness of breath, having to urinate at night, heart palpitations, hot flashes, muscle and joint pain, hormonal changes, toothache, cough and itching.

• Medication use: some medicines can affect your sleep. Therefore, always read the package leaflet before taking any medication.

• Eating habits: a tasty hamburger or spicy Indian food can be tasty, but it can disturb your night's sleep. You start to perspire more and your stomach may hurt.

• Depression: troubled by depressive thoughts? Then there is a good chance that it will disturb your night's sleep.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia can be a long-term consequence of sleeping problems and prevents you from functioning on a daily basis. Someone suffers from insomnia if they sleep badly more than 2 times a week and if you lie awake for more than half an hour before you really sleep. This can make you feel tired, energyless, sleepy and/or irritable.

Insomnia can have serious long-term consequences. Just think of high blood pressure, depression, hallucinations and obesity. It is important to make an appointment with your doctor if you suffer from insomnia.

Complaints that you can experience due to insomnia

• Sleep Apnea: Breathing stops for more than 10 seconds at night and occurs more than five times per hour. As a result, you are sometimes (un)consciously awake and that disturbs your night's sleep.

• Restless legs syndrome: a feeling of sleepiness or tingling in the legs.

• Hyperthyroidism: phenomenon that occurs when you have an accelerated thyroid gland. This can be accompanied by cardiac arrhythmias, trembling, sweating, diarrhoea, restlessness and weight loss.

• Disturbed biorhythm: it is important to always go to sleep around the same time so that you have a smaller chance of sleeping problems. You increase the risk of a disrupted biological clock when you work irregular night shifts, suffer from jet lag and/or take naps during the day.

• Parasomnias: waking up without being 100% alert. Think sleepwalking.

• Narcolepsy: If you suffer from narcolepsy, you fall asleep during your activities during the day and wake up a few times during the night.

A good night's sleep is crucial

A bad night's sleep can have many consequences, both in the short and long term. So try to intervene as much as possible where possible so that you don't get insomnia in the future. Suffering from a bad night's sleep? Svensson offers a sleep pack that can alleviate your problems.