You just open your eyes and see your alarm clock that you still have time to sleep. Good news ! Or maybe not. Joachim Behar, sleep researcher and director of the Technion-Rambam Center in Haifa, Israel, explains to our colleagues from Fortune Well thatit’s not always good to go back to sleep if we wake up before the dreaded alarm rings.
We start by pointing out that it’s not a bad thing if you wake up before waking up. This means that you have a good rhythm and that your sleep schedule is in accordance with your circadian rhythm.
You can go back to sleep…unless there are less than 90 minutes until the bell rings
Most experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to adults. If you just opened your eyes and realize that you still have time to sleep, ask if you have your quota of hours of sleep, with one exception.
“ If your alarm is set to wake you in 90 minutes or less, stay awake, he advises. A complete sleep cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes, and interrupt him can lead to sleep inertia », Warns the researcher.
You expose yourself to dizziness and difficulty concentrating during the day.
If it’s dark, don’t look at the time!
The experts of Fortune Well also recommendforget about the alarm if you wake up and it’s still dark. Cover your clock or put your phone out of reach. “ If the alarm hasn’t gone off yet, it’s still dark and that’s all you need to know “.
And if you can’t get back to sleep completely, relax. You probably close your eyes longer than you think. Moreover, “relaxation is almost as good as sleep », advise the researchers.
How do I know if I’m sleep deprived?
“ The telltale signs of a bad night’s sleep should be assessed one hour after waking up, because in some people, there is sleep inertia which makes it difficult to wake up properly. », Describes Dr Marc Rey, neurologist and President of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance. Naturally the symptoms indicative of lack of sleep will then quickly make themselves felt, especially if bad nights are frequent.
We cite fatigue, a drop in motivation, an irritable state, a drop in morale, heartburn, appetite disorders, dry eyes, dark circles, stiffness in the back, memory problems, headaches or a longer reaction time.
In the longer term, lack of sleep has an impact on your health. This can harm your cardiovascular system, your brain and can even cause you to be overweight.