About

I spent many hours unable to sleep. I often lay awake, my thoughts going round and round in circles, constantly preoccupied with the question of why I couldn't fall asleep. There were nights when I lay awake for so long that I finally said to myself, “I'll just get up and start the new day.”

There are certainly many reasons for these difficulties in falling asleep: too much screen time, sleeping in too late the day before, too much caffeine, thoughts about the past, embarrassing situations, or worries about the future going round and round in my head. And last but not least, the moment when you recognize the problem and say to yourself, “I can't fall asleep.” From that point on, everything seems lost. I think many people know this feeling.

I have tried many things to help me fall asleep: no more caffeine in the evening, lavender spray, melatonin, rain sounds, meditation, or audiobooks. I have now found ways to deal with the situation, and my sleep has improved. But during all those sleepless nights, I also had a lot of time to think about the social phenomenon of falling asleep.

With this diploma project, I want to make these considerations tangible and spark interest in the topic. This website serves to approach falling asleep from different perspectives: to raise awareness, impart knowledge, reflect on one's own sleep behavior in a playful way, and perhaps even to have fun, pass the time, or get tired.

How much sleep do we actually need? What happens when we can't fall asleep? Where do we sleep, and where have people slept in the past? And finally: What can help us fall asleep more easily?