Sleep affects not only our energy, but also our emotions, our physical and mental performance, our concentration, and even our appetite. Getting a good sleep can strengthen your immune system, but also reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, obesity, or depression.
Almost one in two French people is affected by sleep disorders. Whether it is too long to fall asleep, to wake up at night, or to wake up early in the morning, the repercussions of a sleep disorder can be significant in everyday life. Rather than sleeping pills, there are simple, natural solutions to improve sleep and get a better night’s sleep.
How do you know if you’re getting enough sleep?
There is no ideal duration of sleep. Some “little sleepers” will need only 5 to 6 hours of sleep, while “big sleepers” will need 9 or 10 hours. This difference is determined by our genetics and our environment.
Age also influences the amount of sleep you need:
- Children up to 3 years old need 12 to 15 hours of sleep a day
- From 3 to 5 years old, children need from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- From 5 to 12 years old, it’s 9 to 11 hours on average
- Adolescents over 12 need 8-10 hours
- For adults, the usual average remains 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day.
To know if you have slept enough, you must:
- Be able to operate normally until the end of the day
- Do not experience significant drowsiness during the day
- Have sufficient vigilance even after meals, in a heated room, with boring activity
To find out how many hours of sleep you need per day, you can try to find out your natural needs by calculating the average amount of sleep you need during your second week of vacation.
What is the biological clock?
Being an “early bird” or a “night owl” would be part of our genetic heritage. Our circadian rhythm (the alternation between day and night) influences our internal biological clock and conditions the hours of falling asleep and waking up. In addition to our genes, certain environmental factors influence the biological clock:
- Life constraints such as working hours or managing children
- The exposure to daylight
- food
- Physical activity
- Age since adolescents are rather late-nighters while the elderly are early risers
- Knowing your biological clock allows you to respect sufficient and restful sleep time.
What are the sleep cycles?
Sleep is mainly divided into two cycles which return approximately every 90 minutes:
Slow sleep which is divided into light slow sleep and deep slow sleep. It is characterized by a slower and deeper brain which makes it possible to avoid waking up at the slightest noise.
REM sleep, in which there is no more control over the muscles to allow the brain to dream
Each phase is very important not only to rest, but also to allow a good functioning both physical and psychological.
What are sleeping sicknesses?
Even if sleep disorders can be symptoms of other diseases (asthma, hormonal disorders, rheumatism, etc.), there are also sleep diseases:
Insomnia
With almost one in five French people suffering from this disease, this occasional or lasting disease results in poor quality sleep, difficulty falling asleep, multiple awakenings during the night, or too early awakening in the morning . It usually causes fatigue, irritability, mood, memory or concentration disturbances. Anxiety, stress and depression are the main causes, but always look for another disease.
Sleep apnea syndrome
This disease is characterized by repeated stops of breathing during sleep. These are apneas linked to an obstruction in the throat. It requires equipment by a device to help breathe during sleep.
Restless legs syndrome
It results in impatience in the lower limbs. Generally familial, it may be linked to a neurological problem or an iron deficiency.
Narcolepsy
This rare disease results in severe drowsiness during the day.
How to improve sleep naturally?
Some very simple tips can help improve sleep that is affected by the environment and living conditions:
- Avoid stimulants like coffee, tea, sodas, sugary drinks…
- Avoid practicing a sport as well as all very stimulating activities after 18-19 hours
- Encourage relaxing activities in the evening: reading, music, stretching
- Avoid heavy meals in the evening and alcohol at dinner
- Respect your sleep pattern
- Reserve the bedroom for sleep and sexual activity by avoiding watching TV in bed, working or eating in bed
- Take a warm bath at least 2 hours before bedtime to help relax and increase the depth of sleep
- Go to bed only when you feel sleep signals (yawning, heavy neck, itchy eyes, etc.)
- Follow your body’s wake-up signals: if you can’t sleep or have been awake for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something else
- If you are awake in the morning, do not try to prolong your sleep at all costs, but on the contrary, get up and start your day
- Avoiding screens at least 1 hour before going to bed is a simple measure that effectively reduces insomnia. The influence of blue light on television, computer, tablet or telephone screens is very important on the biological clock. Light acts as a stimulant that puts the brain on alert and prevents sleep
Can herbal medicine help improve sleep?
Certain plants are real remedies without addiction or side effects to improve the quality of sleep. Their benefits generally appear 3 to 4 days after the start of their use:
- Hawthorn particularly effective in case of stress, and anxiety
- The linden tree that calms and promotes sleep
- Passionflower effective against depression and insomnia
- Valerian very useful in case of nervousness, or stress
- Lemon balm which has a sedative action
- Chamomile which calms and aids digestion
All these plants can be consumed in the form of food supplements, decoctions or conventional infusions.
What is melatonin?
Melatonin is a very important hormone to prepare the body for sleep. Its secretion begins when the light declines and continues throughout the night with a peak around 3am. It lowers body temperature, the stress hormone (cortisol) or even blood pressure. Available for a few years in the form of a drug, melatonin helps to reprogram the biological clock, especially in night owls or people who experience jet lag. It should be used for a short time, at a dose of less than 1 mg and in immediate release, 2 to 4 hours before bedtime. It should always be combined with behavioral approaches such as screen suppression, relaxation and the bedtime ritual. Before taking melatonin treatment, make sure you do not have a contraindication, and discuss it with your doctor.
When should you consult?
When sleep disorders set in and begin to have consequences during the day, it is best to consult your doctor first. He can propose:
- Complementary examinations in search of a disease
- A consultation with a sleep doctor to do a polysomnography, that is to say a recording of sleep during the night
- Antidepressant or anxiolytic treatments if necessary
Due to their risk of addiction, sleeping pills should not be taken for more than 4 weeks and should always be combined with behavioral measures.
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