Sleep

Sleep is the state of falling asleep in which a person finds himself. We are in a state of reduced alertness where we have, for a few hours, a loss of notion of the outside world, without the complete loss of our senses.

Sleep really shouldn’t be neglected. An adult needs, on average, between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. Obviously children and adolescents need even more.

Sleeping will allow our cognitive or behavioral abilities to function correctly. Indeed, how often do you find that you are not focused or that you are particularly irritable when you are tired?! Lack of sleep can therefore create attention problems, neurological slowdowns or even mood disorders.

In the longer term, our body can get used to a lack of sleep, which will create significant consequences for our body. This increases the risk of having certain physical illnesses (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.), but also psychological with a notable reduction in mental health. All of this combined often leads to premature death.

Fatigue follows the circadian rhythm, which is the human biological clock, which operates on a 24 hour basis. Sleep is secreted by a hormone called melatonin which is formed depending on the brightness of the environment. Nighttime promotes the secretion of melatonin and therefore makes you feel tired.

Sleep refers to a sequence of 3 to 6 cycles lasting between 90 and 120 minutes. Each cycle responds to 4 phases: falling asleep (or latency if we enter a new cycle), light slow-wave sleep, deep slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.

Falling asleep

Falling asleep is the transition phase between waking up and sleeping. This is the time when we start to yawn, feel tired, want to go to sleep. We feel a loss of interest in the activities offered or in the conversations. We only think about our need to go to sleep. When we are already in bed, this is the time when we close our eyes and our body begins to no longer really respond to reality.

The speed of our breathing decreases. Your muscles relax. You let your consciousness go little by little. It is in this phase of half sleep that, sometimes, we can feel a sensation of falling into space, or of muscular convulsions.

The time to fall asleep lasts between 5 and 20 minutes. If you take much longer to fall asleep (more than 30 minutes), you may need to speak to a healthcare professional.

Light slow-wave sleep

Brain activity slows down (hence the name “slow wave sleep”). We can continue to hear what is happening around us, sometimes to understand them, but we are no longer able to react to them. On the other hand, we remain very vulnerable to external stimuli which can easily wake us up.

This phase represents 50% of the time of a cycle. During this, our brain activity decreases, to the point of reducing our body temperature as well as our heart rate.

Deep slow-wave sleep

We are entering a phase here where our brain becomes less and less sensitive to external stimuli. Noise and light are less considered and make waking up very difficult. The body is completely relaxed, and is in total rest. This is the period during which we really rest and during which we recover both physically and psychologically the most from the fatigue accumulated during the day. We also recharge so that we have energy for the next day.

This phase represents 20% of the time of a sleep cycle and will help consolidate your immune defenses.

REM sleep

This phase, which lasts approximately 20% of sleep time, corresponds to the moment when brain activity is the most important. It is also called "rapid eyes movement", that is to say that it is a "rapid eye movement" sleep. Indeed, in this phase, the eyes make constant movements. However, the rest of our body does not move.

It is in this phase that we dream. Our dreams can be elaborated since our brain activity is intense. Dreams are a mental reproduction of what our brain can imagine or create. It is particularly important in the memorization phase.

Latency

After the paradoxical phase, we can wake up or go back for a new sleep cycle. Going back into a sleep cycle means resuming from light sleep. If we wake up in this phase, we will be less tired during the day.

If you feel like you're not getting restful sleep or that you're not getting enough sleep, you can adopt some strategies that may help you sleep better, and follow these tips.

Go to bed at a regular time

It is important to keep a regular sleep schedule, and maintain the same number of hours of sleep every night. It is important to go to bed as soon as you are tired and listen to your body, and little by little our sleep rhythm will regulate itself.

You can also set an alarm to remind you to get ready for bed. At first, this will allow you to control your pace.

Pay attention to your diet

It is important to eat light and avoid drinking alcohol or using drugs before going to bed. Indeed, consuming certain substances before going to bed reduces the quality of sleep and promotes weight gain. If certain consumptions can allow you to fall asleep more quickly, sleep will not be restorative since it will be broken.

Certain foods should also be avoided, such as foods too high in calories. The digestive system is slowed down when you sleep and has more difficulty managing digestion. Acidic foods associated with lying down can also cause heartburn.

It is also very important to eat a balanced diet every day. Indeed, eating too much protein harms sleep, or lacking certain minerals (magnesium, iron, etc.) can create discomforts that would prevent you from sleeping fully.

Avoid psychoactive substances

It is important to limit your consumption of caffeine, theine or other stimulating drinks or foods. We know that consuming the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee per day is beneficial for short-term memory, working memory, alertness and promotes certain diets. On the other hand, you must try to limit the number during the day, and above all, it is important to no longer consume it at all several hours before (5 to 6 hours before bedtime depending on the consumption you have had during the day).

Get some fresh air during the day

Getting fresh air and light promotes good sleep. Indeed, it is important to provide your body with daylight during daylight hours so that the circadian rhythm is established. Darkness will encourage sleep.

When it comes to brightness, it's important to not look at your phone or computer right before you go to sleep. The lighting of your screens reduces the creation of melatonin conducive to sleep.

Create your sleeping atmosphere

Your bedroom should be conducive to good sleep. That is to say calm, not very bright and rather cool.

A quiet room makes it easier to fall asleep and reduces the risk of nocturnal awakenings, particularly in the light slow-wave sleep phase.

Reducing the brightness as much as possible will promote the secretion of melatonin present when it is dark, and therefore facilitate sleep.

The room must also be able to have a temperature, ideally between 16 and 20°. If possible, it is best to create a natural temperature by ventilating the room. In this way we will reduce all air pollution in the home, and clean up the environment.

Avoid staying in bed during the day

When we are on weekends or working from home, we tend to want to stay in bed for more comfort. In reality, it's best to get out of bed and make your bedroom a place solely for sleeping. Your brain does not associate other activities (like work) with bed and reduces difficulty falling asleep.

The ideal, during your day (and avoid the evening) is to be able to do a sporting activity. So, even when working remotely, force yourself to move. If you haven't been active, you can do some yoga or relaxation to help you fall asleep.

Turn off the screens

Avoid sleeping with screens on (television, telephone, iPad, etc.). Brightness harms your sleep but above all, your brain does not fully concentrate on your sleep. He stays awake and focused on the screen and what is happening on it. It is recommended to turn off screens 30 to 45 minutes before bed.

If you follow the tips for getting better sleep, you may have less difficulty falling asleep. On the other hand, if you cannot fall asleep, it is possible that there are other underlying reasons, conscious or not (anxiety, pain, etc.). Do not take them lightly and consider consulting a health professional.

When this happens to you, don't stay in bed for too long. Get out of your room and do a quiet activity, without too much light, avoiding screens. You can, for example, read on your sofa, take a bath, write a letter, drink a hot drink, etc. Listening to relaxing music can also help a lot. After a while, you will feel the need to sleep. Go ahead, now is the time.

Finally, remember to never neglect your sleep. It is a recovery phase essential to your life and the proper functioning of your body.