Our suggestions for sleeping properly | EUROtoday

Reading can also reduce the anxiety accumulated at the end of the day, provided you choose the right book and only read for around ten minutes to avoid associating bed with activities other than sleep. A strategy that Dr. Masset also offers to his patients with chronic insomnia. “Reading or listening to a podcast can sometimes help distract their attention from their nighttime thoughts. »

Limit time spent in bed

Because yes, for the two doctors, one of the golden rules is to associate the bed exclusively with rest. “If you only sleep six hours a night, there is no point spending eight hours lying down: the additional two hours may be spent ruminating,” explains Dr. Masset. An strategy that has confirmed itself within the behavioral remedy of sleep problems, but additionally among the many sailors that Dr de La Giclais helps.

Adapt your weight loss program

“Food is a signal of awakening. During the night, the digestive system goes to rest and any food intake can disrupt this process by signaling to the body that the day is starting again,” explains Dr. Masset. This is why it’s advisable to eat dinner at the least three hours earlier than going to mattress and to keep away from consuming if you happen to get up at night time, even when it could appear comforting. A natural tea or a leisure train are really useful for individuals who stand up at night time.

Regulate your physique temperature

To assist you go to sleep, it’s also essential to make sure that you don’t enhance your physique temperature, for instance by avoiding sport within the night. “A body is like a car engine: it takes two to three hours to return to an optimal temperature after exercise,” explains Dr. de La Giclais. However, every day bodily exercise being important, it’s higher to do sport within the night than under no circumstances if the schedule doesn’t enable it in any other case. For some, it may possibly even “bring a feeling of relaxation and help regulate the emotions of the day,” as Dr. Masset factors out. A heat or chilly bathe earlier than going to mattress can then make it simpler to go to sleep. Same if it is scorching.

Sleeping alone or in pairs

Sleeping alone is the unconventional selection of Bryan Johnson, a billionaire in the hunt for longevity to optimize his sleep. But do you actually need to eliminate your different half at night time? For Dr Masset, people are above all a social animal. “The presence of another human or animal in the room can, on the contrary, help you feel safe and let go,” he explains. However, “if the person next to us snores or has a restless sleep, this can actually disrupt sleep. But these are special cases. There is no general rule. »

And if, really, Morpheus refuses us

Waking up in the middle of the night, having thoughts looping through your head, turning over fifteen times in your bed… For occasional insomnia, there are good practices, such as “reading a book, listening to soft music or doing a calm activity with little of light and out of bed,” lists Dr. Masset. “The goal is to divert our attention and make it easier to let go rather than staying focused on our thoughts. »

Bad sleeper or insomniac: when to consult?

However, if despite all these measures, these bad nights persist for more than a month, with significant repercussions on the day, such as a reduction in alertness and productivity, we can speak of chronic insomnia. “It is then crucial to consult a professional to diagnose the cause of insomnia, because it can hide another pathology, such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome or even depression,” specifies Dr. de La Giclais.

What about sleeping tablets?

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Kangaroo of the day

Although they could be a one-off assist, for Dr de La Giclais, the primary remedies stay chronotherapy and behavioral remedy, i.e. respecting schedules and a sleep setting. “It is only as a last resort, if insomnia persists, that a hypnotic can be prescribed to help restore sleep for a few weeks, or even a few months,” explains the specialist. In all circumstances, it’s important to determine when to cease remedy, the target being to sleep naturally, with out remedy. As for melatonin, which is non-toxic, it may possibly sometimes assist resynchronize sleep, however isn’t sufficient to deal with persistent insomnia.

Catch up on sleep

Sleeping in is clearly not really useful. “Regularity takes precedence over sleep duration,” insists Dr. Masset. While a brief nap in circumstances of remarkable sleep deprivation can generally be useful, our physique usually doesn’t must make up for misplaced sleep hour by hour. “To get well, our sleep structure will naturally modify, by extending the time spent in deep slow-wave sleep. »