Sleep problems can have a bigger impact on day-to-day life than many people imagine. Pierre spent years looking for solutions, until a santé24 programme improved things with surprising speed.
Something that at first sounds almost trivial had shaped Pierre’s day-to-day life for decades. He had slept badly for as long as he could remember. Even as a child, he was aware that his father was rarely able to get much rest either. Eventually, he simply came to accept it. «I always thought this was just the way things are. I guess I normalised it.»
But poor sleep is not without consequences. Pierre was constantly exhausted and struggled to get through the day. He was able to function, but it took a lot out of him.
The long road to a solution
Over the years, Pierre of course tried a whole host of things to improve his sleep. He sought medical help, experimented with alternative approaches and constantly looked for new information. But nothing really helped.
He was particularly frustrated when even a referral to a sleep laboratory didn’t lead anywhere. Pierre ultimately came to terms with the fact that poor sleep was just a part of his life. That was until he chanced upon the santé24 programme in a SWICA newsletter. «To be honest, my expectations were pretty low. I had already tried so many things.»
Guided online training with surprising results
Through santé24, Pierre had an initial consultation and then embarked on a guided online self-help training programme for sleep problems. The concept is that digital lessons are combined with personal support from a santé24 expert.
«What was great was that they took me seriously. And they really tried to understand why and how I had ended up where I was.»
The key aim is to increase what is known as sleep pressure, the biological urge to sleep. In simple terms, it’s about taking targeted action to build up the body’s natural sleep pressure, so that going to sleep becomes easier again. For Pierre, this was the turning point.
«I regularly used to lie awake for hours waiting to finally fall asleep. Today I drop off within minutes.»
It is especially important for him that he now understands how his sleep works and what will help him if the problems return. «I am now in control of the situation.»
Support with sleep problems
Sleep problems can have a major impact on your quality of life. santé24, SWICA’s online practice, supports customers who are having problems falling asleep and staying asleep, along with those suffering from long-term fatigue. Your medical information never goes any further than santé24.
Customers receive personalised support quickly and easily over the phone or online. santé24 also offers scientifically validated guided online self-help training. The training is supported by medical professionals and can be accessed flexibly around everyday life.
Through it, sufferers gain access to tangible tools that can improve their sleep and recovery over the long term.
Why programmes of this type can be helpful
Pierre wishes he had discovered the programme much earlier. Even more importantly, he would advise other people experiencing similar problems to accept help – particularly because sleep problems are often underestimated.
For him, it was the combination of personal guidance and flexible online training that made the difference: «You can fit it around your daily routine and take things at your own pace. And you notice relatively quickly that something is changing.»
