Peter Kukry, Lung sports club "Die Luftpiraten 2011 eV" and Alpha1 member

Dr. Ing. Heinz Stutzenberger, revised by Prof. Rembert Koczulla, Alpha1 Deutschland eV, as published in Alpha1 Journal 2/2022.

Overview: Sleep disorders¹

Difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep (so-called insomnia)
Typical complaints include difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, difficulty falling back asleep, waking up too early in the morning, the feeling of "not sleeping deeply enough", and complaints of unrefreshing and insufficient sleep.

Disorders with increased daytime sleepiness (so-called hypersomnias)
Typical symptoms include difficulty staying awake during the day, involuntarily falling asleep or dozing off during the day, and feeling constantly drowsy despite sufficient sleep duration. Often, but not always, this is accompanied by snoring at night. Concentration and memory problems may also occur.

Sleep-wake rhythm disorders
A typical symptom is difficulty falling asleep at a "normal" time. Instead, those affected go to bed much earlier or much later, but then usually have no sleep problems. In other cases, no predictable sleep-wake rhythm can be identified at all. This is often a temporary problem after long-distance travel.

Sleep disturbances/abnormalities (so-called parasomnias)
This includes abnormalities in sleep such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, teeth grinding, and other things.

Morning headache, fatigue
Increase in blood carbon dioxide due to exhausted respiratory/accessory respiratory muscles.

The sleep lab and its significance for people affected by AATM

Most people associate the term "sleep lab" with complaints such as snoring, sleep apnea, or significant daytime fatigue. These three types of complaints are the most common, but not the only reasons why patients visit a sleep lab. There are up to approximately 80 different forms of sleep disorders.

Given the complexity of potential sleep disorders, it seems impractical to address the entire topic within the scope of this essay. Instead, a focus on the aforementioned widespread symptoms, such as daytime sleepiness, snoring, and pauses in breathing during sleep, appears more appropriate. The effects of these symptoms are usually daytime fatigue, lack of concentration, impaired memory, headaches, high blood pressure, and also the risk of microsleep episodes, which can occasionally have fatal consequences. These consequences include, on the one hand, sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) with disrupted sleep phases, and on the other hand, reduced blood oxygen saturation. It should also be noted that some sleep disorders, due to the associated noise, often negatively impact the sleep quality of the bed partner as well.

For a definitive diagnosis of these disorders and to determine appropriate treatment measures, those affected often consult a sleep laboratory. In Germany, there are several hundred sleep laboratories, more than 300 of which are certified by the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM). This certification ensures that the laboratories in question have both appropriate equipment and adequately trained staff.

The following measurements, bodily functions and activities are recorded in the sleep lab³

• Brainwaves (they provide information about light/deep and dream sleep phases (REM*), measured with electrodes attached to the head (EEG**))
• Eye movements (also provide information about light/deep and dream sleep phases (REM*)), measured with attached electrodes (EEG**)
• Heart rate and heart rhythm, measured with electrodes attached to the chest (ECG***)
• Blood oxygen level, measured with a finger clip (oximeter)
• Airflow at the mouth and nose, measured using a stalemate device in the nose.
• Snoring sounds recorded with a microphone attached to the neck
• Breathing movements of the chest and abdomen, measured with strain gauges
• Muscle tension of the chin, measured with attached electrodes (EMG****)
• Leg movements, measured with attached electrodes (EMG****)
• Body position, measured with sensors in a chest strap
• Blood carbon dioxide (paCO2*****) measured with an ear clip (Transcutaneous CO2 measurement)
• Blood pressure (blood pressure cuff)

Dr. Ing. Heinz Stutzenberger,
Revision by Prof. Rembert Koczulla

Want to read the full article?
Our sleep lab article was sent out as a newsletter in July of this year. Would you like to read the entire article and learn about treatment options for sleep-related breathing disorders? Then visit our website: https://www.alpha1-deutschland.org/04-2022-das-schlaflabor-und-seine-bedeutung-fuer-a1atm-betroffene

* REM = Rapid Eye Movement; describes a sleep phase characterized by rapid eye movements with closed eyelids and accompanied by vivid dreams. ** EEG = Electroencephalography = measurement and recording of brain waves. *** ECG = Electrocardiography = measurement and recording of heart waves. **** EMG = Electromyography = measurement and recording of electrical muscle activity. ***** paCO2 = Partial pressure (corresponds to the amount) of carbon dioxide in the blood. ****** Transcutaneous = through the skin without breaking it.

www.schlafgestoert.de/site-6.html
www.dgsm.de/
www.apotheken-umschau.de/diagnose/diagnoseverfahren/die-untersuchung- im-schlaflabor-744157.html#was-wird-im-schlaflabor-gemessen

Manfred Zainzinger, Head of the Bowen Academy Europe
Bettina Baumgartinger, Instructor at the Bowen Academy Europe

The Bowen Technique is a very simple, effective method developed by Tom Bowen (1916-1982) in Geelong, Australia. Tom Bowen was able to help many people with this form of bodywork, for example, those suffering from musculoskeletal problems, as farmers in his time often performed heavy physical labor. Mothers sought help for their children suffering from colic, and he tried to help athletes as well as people with a wide variety of ailments. He was also able to successfully support his wife, who suffered from asthma, and even applied his method successfully to animals.

In German-speaking countries, the Bowen Technique was first taught 23 years ago in Austria by Manfred Zainzinger, the current director of the Bowen Academy Europe. This gentle form of bodywork is now offered by practitioners/therapists in many countries. It is very popular with people who want to promote and maintain their health, seek relaxation, and need support with a wide range of physical or mental ailments.

This gentle bodywork utilizes the dynamic system of muscles, fascia, and connecting tissues. Gentle, small rolling impulses are applied to muscles, fascia, or tendons to stimulate the body's self-regulating resources. The Bowen Technique is holistic; the practitioner applies the impulses, and the body responds with its innate regulatory mechanisms.

Instead of focusing on individual ailments, the Bowen Technique addresses the entire body by working through the ANS (autonomic nervous system). The ANS controls over 80 % (one-trigger system) of all bodily functions and can react sensitively to external stressors. Many people today live with high stress levels and the associated ANS overstimulation (fight, flight, or freeze response). However, regeneration and the body's own healing processes can primarily only occur when the ANS can shift from "fight, flight, or freeze" mode to "rest, relaxation, and regeneration.".

Skin, muscles, fascia, and tendons contain many receptors belonging to the nervous system. One type is called Ruffini receptors, another type is called interstitial receptors. A receptor can also be thought of as a 'switch,' and these two types of switches require very little pressure to be activated. Because the Bowen Method works with very gentle impulses, precisely these switches are addressed, helping the body to reduce the sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) response of the nervous system. When this occurs, the body can more easily shift into the parasympathetic (rest, relaxation, regulation) state. Therefore, during a Bowen session, clients often relax quickly and frequently fall asleep.

Another explanatory model for the method is based on the resonance model of stringed instruments. A string, held and played at a specific point, produces the resonance of a clearly defined tone. Just as a musician places their fingers precisely on the string, the practitioner must execute each movement and impulse with utmost precision. Therefore, just as one must pluck a string carefully and sensitively to play the desired tone, the tissue must be activated correctly and sensitively so that the body responds optimally to the Bowen Technique and regains balance.
The Bowen Method does not replace treatment or diagnosis by a doctor or alternative practitioner, but can be wonderfully used to support conventional medical and naturopathic treatments in all age groups in the following areas:

Musculoskeletal system, organ functions, stress and tension states, regeneration after sports, as preventative healthcare, rehabilitation, and much more.

Further information about this method, practitioner/therapist lists, and instructions for learning this technique yourself can be found at: www.bowen-academy.de
For inquiries: mail@bowen-academy.com