Traditionally, methods of getting some shut-eye include counting sheep or having a nice cup of herbal tea.
However, a German health insurance provider has just claimed there is a far naughtier way to get a good night’s sleep when you’re, erm, tossing and turning: masturbation.
Barmer Krankenkasse have advised, ‘Masturbation helps you fall asleep.’ Adding, ‘If you can’t sleep again, just use your hand to pleasure yourself, or use a toy, then sleep comes all by itself.’
The cheeky bit of wisdom was shared on the company’s Facebook page, complete with a picture of a vibrator emblazoned with the words, ‘For vibrant nights’.
The post was widely shared, with customers left surprised and amused by the frankness shown by the health insurer on a subject which isn’t usually shouted about from the rooftops. Some non-customers even suggested the blue post had tempted them to switch providers.
One person chuckled:
Very cool advertisement. I’ve been considering changing [health insurers] for a long time, maybe this has been the decisive argument, who knows…
Another said:
Yay! You guys really have “eggs”! Celebrating this right now! Do you also deliver the hardware?
Speaking with Spiegel Online, Barmer spokesman Daniel Freudenreich confirmed the post was real:
There are still issues that are often concealed, although they affect most people.
With 9.2 million insured nationwide, Balmer is the second largest in Germany after Techniker Krankenkasse.
Barmer apparently aren’t tugging your leg – or any other body part – on this one. According to the Planned Parenthood website, relaxation is one of the numerous health benefits of masturbation:
Masturbation can lower stress and help you relax. It even helps some people fall asleep.
Registered sex therapist Judith Golden told Reader’s Digest: Best Health how masturbation can be of great help to those who suffer from insomnia:
Just as people fall into a deep sleep after sex with a partner, because blood pressure is lowered and relaxation is increased through the release of endorphins, masturbation is a good sleeping pill,
It is relied on by many as a nightly occurrence.
However, readers should consider the side effects of having too much of a good thing.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.