It’s a reality: the French sleep badly. According to a study published in November 2012, 25% to 30% of the inhabitants of France suffer from insomnia, a sleep disorder which more particularly concerns 15.8% of people aged 15 to 85…
However, sleeping well is essential: sleep deprivation has a serious impact on our state of health since it is linked to an increased risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, a drop in immune defenses, and an increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
Fortunately, according to a recent study conducted jointly by Inserm and the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (ICM), it would be possible to “boost” our sleep in order to maximize its benefits on our brain… Explanations .
The secret: neurofeedback
A sleep cycle is divided into several phases: drowsiness, light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. Each phase is linked to a certain type of cerebral waves, classified according to their frequency: these waves correspond to an electrical activity of neurons in the brain. They can be observed (and recorded) using the technique of electroencephalography – or EEG.
The most “important” phase is deep sleep: characterized by slow waves (the brain “beats” with a very low frequency), it consolidates episodic memory – that is to say the memory of events and their context – and contributes to the elimination of toxins present in the brain. Thus, boosting deep sleep would increase its protective effect against certain diseases – Alzheimer’s diseasefor example.
Science fiction? Not for long. Because researchers from Inserm and the ICM have developed a technique: neurofeedback. Concretely, it involves recording the activity of the brain using electrodes to display it in real time on a computer screen: by monitoring the slow waves, the researchers can then increase or modulate them thanks to auditory stimuli. A device intended for the general public would be under study: we can’t wait to discover that!
Source: ICM press release.
To discover :
Infographic: what lack of sleep does to your body
The right position to sleep well during menstruation
