We disconnect our arousal circuits
“The switch to sleep requires the awakening systems to shut down”, explains Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola, psychiatrist specializing in sleep. These systems are numerous and are governed by different nervous circuits and various hormones. To deactivate them, nothing better than quiet occupation in the evening such as listening to soft music, relaxation, reading (preferably on a paper book), needlework. “As you approach bedtime, we focus on relaxing activities, which are fun, and we avoid anything that can be a source of stress”, summarizes the psychiatrist.
We establish a bedtime ritual
Far from being reserved for children, the bedtime ritual (tisane, reading, relaxation technique, yoga posture, teeth washing, makeup removal, kisses to children) is also beneficial for adults. “We are animals subject to synchronization. Always doing the same thing at the same time can only be beneficial: it calms us down and puts our body on track”, observes Dr Éric Mullens, somnologist.
We go to bed at the right time
To identify this moment, we pay attention to the signs of sleep and we respect them: we do not go to bed either before or after. In the early evening, our internal clock activates the mechanisms that go make it easier to fall asleep : our body temperature begins to drop, our heart rate slows down, our arousal circuits gradually go into off mode. Concretely, we yawn, we have a feeling of heaviness in the neck, our eyes flicker, we feel a kind of torpor, sometimes a feeling of cold. Our biological clock tells us that it’s time to sleep, that our body is ready. “With these signals, our body asks us to sleep. We might as well respond to this request”, summarizes Dr Éric Mullens.
We make our room a cocoon
Quiet, dark and the right temperature (18 ° C in the room) are the three key environmental factors to make your bedroom a place conducive to sleep, protected from the outside.
“If you do not fall asleep after about twenty minutes, it is better to get up to avoid nervousness” adds Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola. Trying to fall asleep when our body is not ready often has the opposite effect: under the effect of “performance anxiety”, falling asleep is even more difficult. It is therefore better to get up and practice a relaxing activity while waiting for sleep to come. This advice is all the more relevant in the event of increased stress and negative thoughts that flock to the pillow. “Getting up then allows you to defuse the” infernal machine “of thoughts that prevent sleep”, analyzes the neurobiologist Joëlle Adrien.
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