According Inserm, 37% of French people regularly suffer from sleep or waking disorders. Insomnia affects between 15 and 20% of the population, including 9% suffering from a severe form.
The National Institute of Health and Medical Research explains that beyond a deterioration in the quality of life, insomnia would also aggravate the symptoms of somatic or psychiatric illnesses such as depression, hypertension or even chronic pain.
How to sleep well on your back?
On your back, arms along your body, close your eyes. Take a long breath through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth to oxygenate your brain. According to Thierry Legagnoux, chiropractor, to ensure you adopt a correct position, your back must follow an optimal curvature. Place a folded pillow or towel at your arch. If this method seems unsuitable or uncomfortable, you can also place a pillow under your knees.
How to position yourself correctly on the side?
Your head must be sufficiently supported. The space between your shoulders and your neck is filled by your cushion. Be careful, however, not to choose a pillow that is too thick. Your head should not be under upward pressure.
Sleeping on your stomach, how does it work?
If you have to lie on your stomach to sleep, be careful not to put pressure on your vertebrae. To lessen this effect, you can place a pillow under your stomach. One of your legs bent at 90° with your body slightly turned is also a good alternative to relieve pain.
When should you change your bedding?
The National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance recommends changing your mattress and box spring every ten years. Their wear increases the risk of back pain, irritability, difficulty concentrating, as well as other health problems.
How to choose your sheets and your pillow?
According to a 2017 study by the American National Sleep Foundation71% of respondents had better quality sleep in clean sheets. During the night, your bed linen absorbs your bodily secretions, your perspiration and retains the dead cells of your skin. They attract dust mites which disturb your sleep.
Change your sheets once a week can help restore restful sleep. You can also ventilate your bed during the day to release moisture.
The choice of pillow is also essential. This little cloud supports your cervical vertebrae and contributes to the proper distribution of the weight of your head.
How to choose your mattress?
Spring or foam mattress, soft or firm support… The combination of your bed base and your mattress must provide decent support for your back. Be careful : your spine needs to form a fairly straight lineparallel to your bed.
Every night we turn around dozens of times. In your bed, your body should be able to easily change position when it feels the need. Static sleep can harm your muscles and spine.
The width of your mattress is not to be neglected for quality sleep. It must adapt to your size and that of your partner if you share it. For two adults, a 160 cm wide mattress is standard.
According to each morphology, the support of the mattress varies. Smaller and leaner people will prefer softer mattresses, while people with larger builds will find comfort with firm support. However, if the sizes diverge within a couple, you can opt for two mattresses with different support, but of the same thickness.
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