Small, medium or heavy sleeper
To each his own sleep. If on average we sleep 7:30 a night, the mistake would be to want to correspond to the norm. Needs differ from person to person. Small, medium or heavy sleeper: the explanation is in fact to be found in our genetic heritage, as studies carried out on twins have shown. “Thus, there are short sleepers who need 5h30 of sleep per night to feel good and long sleepers who, conversely, need more than 9h30 of sleep per night”, explains Dr Isabelle Arnulf. and Delphine Oudiette in “How do we sleep?” published by Le Pommier editions. The “evening” or “morning” character is also programmed in advance. It depends on our biological clock.
For restful nights and fatigue-free days, you just have to determine your sleeper profile. Start by identifying “your doors to sleep” to know when it’s time to go to bed. Indeed, “each of us can notice that at some point in the evening, he is more easily subject to falling asleep, Professor Léger calls out to us in his book “Sleep well, finally!”. Be careful: he is 11 p.m., you have just read the same page of the newspaper for the fifth time, your eyelids droop and the book falls from your hands. The sandman passes by and it is the beginning of one of your cycles. Be careful not to don’t let it pass because at 11:30 p.m. you’ll be in great shape and you won’t feel like sleeping at all.”
As for how many hours of sleep you need, listen to yourself. “The ideal length of a night is the one that allows you to feel rested and to have a good functioning during the day”, reminds us of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (ISV). A clue also: “If you sleep 2 hours more on weekends than during the week, a priori, it is that you are recovering from a sleep debt”, enlightens us Dr. François Duforez, doctor sleep and sport contacted at the European sleep center in Paris.
Yes, but today, our lifestyles do not always lead us to respect our sleep rhythm, which is not without consequences for our well-being and our health…
We sleep 1 hour less than 50 years ago
In 40/50 years, we lost 1 hour of sleep. It’s a lot. In the 1960s, the average sleep time was 8:30 a.m. compared to 7:30 a.m. today. In the United States, the average has even fallen below 7 hours. “We think it’s steadily decreasing,” notes Dr. Duforez.
Travel time, work, leisure (especially video games, internet and television) are gradually encroaching on our nights. But neglecting your sleep weakens your health. Public authorities and the medical profession are increasing awareness campaigns and messages. The theme of national sleep day in 2008 was “Sleep, a health partner”.
A lack of sleep first affects the “quality of life”, insists Dr. Duforez. Sleep debt can lead to fatigue, memory and concentration problems, irritability, anxiety and even depression. Another striking consequence: excessive daytime sleepiness. “It is mainly manifested by falling asleep during periods of inactivity with a peak in the early afternoon,” says the ISV. This drowsiness is a factor in road and work accidents.
“People who do not sleep well, especially in the second part of the night, where blood pressure drops, can potentially trigger hypertensive diseases and therefore cardiovascular problems”, adds Dr. Duforez.
Finally, there is a relationship between sleep duration and weight. The less we sleep, the longer the hunger-promoting hormone is secreted and the more we eat with a particular attraction to sweet products.
Sleeping enough, neither too much nor too little, is therefore essential. Sleep well too. Many of us suffer from sleep disorders.
Nearly 20% of the population is insomniac
Nearly 20% of French adults are insomniacs and 10% regularly take sleeping pills(1). Several symptoms can evoke insomnia: difficulty falling asleep (after 30 minutes, you are still tossing and turning in your bed); frequent nocturnal awakenings with difficulty falling back to sleep; waking up too early (at 5 a.m., impossible to close your eyes); unrefreshing sleep.
“If you’ve been having one or more of these symptoms more than 3-4 times a week for more than a month, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about it,” advises Dr. Duforez. Who will direct you if necessary to these specialized structures that are the Sleep and Vigilance Centers with the unfortunately very long waiting list.
Insomnia can have many origins. First, it can be linked to a “hard blow” or a difficult passage (mourning, illness, too much stress at work, poor lifestyle, etc.). This is called reactive insomnia.
It can have an organic cause (a neurological disorder such as Parkinson’s disease, rheumatological pain, endocrine problems such as diabetes, respiratory or cardiac disorders). In other cases, it may reflect a psychiatric disorder. “Anxiety and depression are very frequently found as causes of insomnia, writes Professor Léger in “Sleep well, finally!”. On the other hand, most psychiatric illnesses are accompanied by insomnia.”
Medications can also disrupt sleep. Other sleep disorders – sleep apnea syndrome, restless legs syndrome… – finally explain certain cases of insomnia.
We then understand the value of the diagnosis which will make it possible to provide the right answers for everyone: drug treatment, behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques… and, first of all, a reminder of the golden rules to set the record straight. . And your nights will no longer look like a nightmare…
(1) Source: “Sleep well, finally!” by Pr Damien Léger at First editions.
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