The length of our nights is getting shorter and shorter: 7 hours on average. Insomnia affects 8 out of 10 French people. And a quarter of us use sleeping pills to get to sleep.
Still too large a proportion. “ These medications are toxic and ineffective in the long term. They do not make you sleep, they anesthetize because they are anti-arousals, not products that allow restorative and quality sleep. Not to mention the addiction they provide! », protests the Dr Patrick Lemoine, psychiatrist.
However, many French people continue to use it, convinced that they have no other solution. “ False, there are interesting and effective alternatives »continues the specialist.
Certain plants, taken in capsules, show good results
Some plants have in fact been the subject of scientific studies with good levels of proof of effectiveness. This is the case of the valerian And the eschscholtzia.
“ The results of various recent studies show good results on sleep. Much better than sleeping pills which can cause damage to your health: sleep apnea, risk of Alzheimer’s disease, etc…the list is impressive », underlines the psychiatrist.
These plants should rather be taken in capsules because herbal teas cause a risk of waking up to urinate. For dosage, ask the pharmacist for advice because there are ready-to-use combined products with a quantity determined in advance.
What to do if you wake up too early?
There lavender can also be of interest but always in capsules and not in the form of essential oils. Another substance to have demonstrated positive effects: melatonin. But be careful, not just any one. “ We must turn to so-called sustained release melatonin and not simple melatonin. The one that we put under the tongue is interesting because it does not pass through the liver, so we do not stress it and so it rests. And for people who wake up too early, the ideal is delayed release melatonin. These nuances make all the difference, so we look carefully at the labels,” specifies Dr. Lemoine.
We rethink our evening routine
Finally, apart from these products, we pay attention in the hours before bedtime. We have dinner 3 hours before going to sleep, and light if possible with a little slow sugar. Fried foods or dishes that are too rich are prohibited. Last reminder, undoubtedly the most difficult to implement: we turn off the screens tablets, smartphones and computers, whose blue light blocks the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. However, you can watch television, as long as you don’t go to bed after a scary film. Otherwise, it’s difficult to sleep peacefully.
Thanks to Dr. Patrick Lemoine, psychiatrist and author of Doctor, my sleep hurtspublished by Odile Jacob.
