In a Facebook post featuring a picture of a sex toy and the caption: “For pulsating nights,” Barmer Krankenkasse said: “Masturbation helps you fall asleep.” They went on to suggest that anyone struggling to sleep could try masturbation – and with a toy if necessary.

The post, which was published on Thursday, has whipped up lots of interest. It had received thousands of likes on Monday and had been shared almost 5,000 times.

Comments were mostly positive, with lots of people making jokes and some describing it as a “very cool” ad.

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Barmer spokesman Daniel Freudenreich confirmed that the ad was real, reported Spiegel.

“There are still topics that are often kept secret, even though they concern the vast majority of people,” he said, adding that the health insurer wanted to highlight the taboo with a wink.

However, those insured by the company shouldn’t expect to be reimbursed for any sex toys they buy.

Under the comments of the post, the social media team said they couldn’t help with the purchase of any items, “only the health tip comes from us,” they said.

According to its own information, Barmer has around 9.2 million insured members nationwide – making it the second largest health insurance provider in Germany after Techniker Krankenkasse.

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