This sleep specialist’s advice will save your nights.
After a tiring day, comes the long-awaited moment to slip into bed and let yourself fall into the arms of Morpheus. But sometimes, without knowing why, it doesn’t come. The hours pass and we toss and turn in bed without being able to fall asleep. To understand this phenomenon, we must first distinguish fatigue from sleep deficiency. Fatigue can be muscular (after exerting ourselves), or mental (after intense intellectual work). We can be tired without needing sleep. Conversely, sleep deficiency makes the body feel the need to fall asleep. If despite a lack of sleep, falling asleep does not come, it is because we need to change certain sleeping habits.
The first explanation for difficulties falling asleep is found in sleep/wake disorder (bedtime and wake-up times). “We often see it at the start of the school year.” explains Dr. Marc Rey, sleep specialist and President of the Institute of Sleep and Vigilance. During the summer holidays, we adopt new habits of getting up and going to bed. “When we go back to school, we’ll have to get back into the habit of getting up early, only now we’re no longer tired in the evening.” This change in habits requires resynchronizing bedtimes, and this can take about 3 weeks.
Apart from returning from vacation, stress and/or anxiety are the main factors that prevent you from falling asleep because they prevent you from letting go. “Humans are more likely to cope with the stress of physical exertion than with psychological stress.”continues Dr. Rey. This situation causes a feeling of nervousness when the person realizes that he or she cannot fall asleep and “This creates a vicious circle: ‘I’m afraid of not falling asleep, so I watch myself, so I put myself in a state of hyper-arousal’.” This state translates into being very attentive to what is happening or what one feels. “The wakefulness systems then function at their maximum, which is not conducive to the activation of the sleep systems.” Since falling asleep takes at least twenty minutes, there is no point in getting impatient too early.
Real sleep disorders can also make life difficult for those affected. This is the case with insomnia. These have daytime repercussions, meaning they cause fatigue during the day, leading to difficulty falling asleep and nervousness in the evening when going to bed. “Insomnia itself is a comorbidity, meaning that it is a disease that is associated with depression. This implies that it will have to be treated accordingly.”adds the expert.
The good news is that it is possible to get back to sleep. The first thing to do is to take stock of your needs: “How many hours of sleep do I need to feel good? At what time will I be able to fall asleep easily?” These particularities are different for everyone and must be respected. The second reflex to have is regularity. “The sleep/wake rhythm adopted must be regular so that the interaction with the other biological rhythms is always the same. This is how we find sleep” says Dr. Rey. Finally, you have to think about filling your day. Falling asleep is easier after a varied, stimulating day. “If you’ve spent the day on your couch watching TV, it’s normal that you’re having trouble falling asleep.” This stimulation will notably involve exposing yourself to daylight from the morning, to stop the production of melatonin (sleep hormone) during the day.
At bedtime, you also need to put yourself in a position that is conducive to sleep. “We are not machines with an on/off button. We must prepare for sleep“, says the specialist. To help you fall asleep, it is advisable to turn off screens 1 hour before going to sleep and, above all, not bring your mobile phone to bed. “There has to be an airlock at bedtime.” Dr. Rey also recommends drinking herbal tea, listening to music or even having a relaxation session.