Stress of the day, inflation, climate change, war in Ukraine… The sleep of the French suffers. According to a new study conducted by the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance and MGEN on the occasion of the sleep day, more than one in three French people (37%) suffers from insufficient quality sleep. “Sleep disorders have been significant among the French for years with a deterioration since 2015 which worsened at the time of the Covid-19 crisis in March 2020.regrets Dr. Marc Rey, president of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (INSV).
Eight out of ten French people even report waking up at night. They occur on average twice a night, for a duration of about 30 minutes. Nevertheless, 14% of those who wake up take one to two hours to go back to sleep, and 7% two hours. Add to this a population sleeping less and less : on weekdays, the French sleep less than 7 hours (6h58), i.e. the estimated minimum duration for good quality sleep, and on weekends 7h40 (vs 8h14 in 2019).
Unfortunately, this sleep degradation is inevitably accompanied by high levels of anxiety and depressive states. And according to the results of the study, women (39%) and young people (41% of 18-24 year olds and 42% of 25-34 year olds) are more prone to it than the rest of the population (31%). “Sleep problems exacerbate anxiety disorders, and vice versa”recognizes the psychiatrist Isabelle Poirot.
Thus, according to the study:
- 30% of depressed people suffer from insomnia and 23% of insomniacs suffer from depression;
- 35% of anxious people suffer from insomnia and 54% of insomniacs suffer from anxiety;
- 25% of anxious people suffer from a sleep/wake rhythm disturbance and 45% of people with this disorder suffer from anxiety.
What is the link between poor sleep and anxiety?
“Research shows common regulatory mechanisms (including genetics) and reciprocal interactions between the circadian clock and brain structures implicated in mental health”, says Professor Claude Gronfier, neurobiologist. For example, damage to the biological clock (night work, shifted rhythm, pathology, etc.) is associated with a higher prevalence of mental disorders.
Sleep is indeed an indicator of mental health and a mood barometer. Its deterioration is linked as much to personal life (45%) as to professional life (46%). But among young adults, it’s a relatively new concept that’s implicated in the rise in insomnia:eco-anxiety. 68% of respondents are worried about future generations and 61% are worried about the increasing number of natural disasters. In 8.4% of 25-34 year olds, this eco-anxiety even has “Negative consequences“with an impact on sleep.
“Over the past two years, insomnia has increased among young adults; part of this increase can be attributed to anxiety related to the ecological situation which leads to a feeling of insecurity and worry about their future“, analyzes Dr. Royant-Parola.
#sleepday | #JS2023#WorldSleepDay
55 #events on the #program of the 23rd Sleep Day!#Cheer and thank you for your mobilization
Friday March 17
Everywhere in #France
▶️ Find out ➕: https://t.co/kYnIdyRlPPpic.twitter.com/4olG8rLJXJ— INSV (@INSV_Sleep) March 7, 2023
Drugs, not a long-term solution
Faced with these troubles, some are tempted to turn to medical answers. 16% of French people now say they take antidepressants or anxiolytics, with a higher proportion among 25-34 year olds. According to the study, 42% of them say they feel better, but 21% believe they sleep less well and 37% see no change. Nevertheless, if it can be a one-time solution, “sleep medication is just one tool in the sleep therapy arsenal“, warns Dr. Sylvie Royant-Parola. “It does not represent a long-term solution, even in anxious and/or depressed patients.“
To take care of it, it is still advisable to adapt one’s behavior on a daily basis, with the adoption of regular sleep schedules corresponding to one’s needs, regular physical activity, exposure to natural light from the start of day, increased social interaction and the application of relaxation techniques.
Source :
- INSV press conference, March 14, 2023
