One of Germany’s leading health insurance providers, Barmer, has recently offered rather unorthodox advice to the public, literally suggesting that masturbation helps induce slumber.
Sharing this insight via a Facebook post on 25 July, the company claimed that people who have trouble falling asleep should “just put your hand on yourself or get a toy to it,” claiming that "sleep comes all by itself."
"There are still topics that are often kept secret, even though they concern the vast majority of people," Barmer spokesman Daniel Freudenreich told Der Spiegel, confirming the veracity of the post.
The company noted, however, that it’s not going to help people financially to purchase sex toys.
"We cannot help with the acquisition and implementation. Only the health tip comes from us," the insurer said.
As the magazine points out, Barmer claims to have about 9.2 million people insured across the country, making the company the second-largest medical insurance provider in Germany after Techniker Krankenkasse.
