HEALTH
It is essential to distinguish between insomnia and sleep deprivation. While both have the same effect on our daily
What is the difference between insomnia and sleep deprivation?
lives, the ways to improve your sleep are not the same. In the case of sleep deprivation, your body or brain does not give your organism the opportunity to sleep for as long as it needs. Sleep deprivation occurs when, for example, there is excessive work or leisure time, and you do not yourself give yourself the possibility of getting enough sleep. Insomnia, on the other hand, is a condition for which you are not responsible; for example, you have difficulty initiating sleep or maintaining it by waking up too early. However, even if it is in your best interests to be treated for this disorder, you won’t actually be missing out on too much sleep, as you are probably managing to reclaim some sleep time in the morning, for example, if your problem is being able to fall asleep at bedtime. In addition, there are other pathologies, such as apnoea, hypersomnia (daytime sleepiness), restless legs syndrome or parasomnia (sleepwalking, nightmares, etc.).
Yes, comfort is very important. The choice of a mattress is an extremely individual matter. Somet imes spouses have
Can a more comfortable bed also improve the quality of our sleep?
different needs and desires for comfort; if this is the case, it is better to have two different mattresses. An unsuitable mattress, which does not provide sufficient support, may aggravate underlying problems (back pain, neck pain) and therefore disturb the continuity of sleep. Even in the absence of an underlying disease, an uncomfortable mattress that is not suited to the sleeper's morphology (too “ soft ” or too “ firm ” ) can disrupt sleep and cause broken rest or micro- awakenings. The thermal comfort of the bedding also plays an important role: the mattress must be able to evacuate moisture, otherwise night sweats may occur.
If, on a continuous basis, for more than three months, you have dif ficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and
If we feel tired, when should we start seeking medical advice?
It is now known that insomnia doubles the risk of experiencing a depressive disorder. Indeed, it is important to know that not only our needs, but also the “ architecture ” , i.e. the quality of our sleep, change as we age.
What are the repercussions of a lack of sleep on our minds? You say that our sleep evolves over the course of our lifetime.
this happens more than three times a week, or if you experience excessive tiredness or decreases in performance during the day, it is reasonable to seek advice. Sometimes there may be organic disorders such as those of the thyroid gland. If this is not enough, you can consult a sleep centre, which will carry out a more extensive assessment by analysing the different stages of rest in order to propose the most suitable treatment. In this instance, we are talking about people who suffer from pathologies that affect their sleep. For others, it is possible to improve the quality of their sleep by simply encouraging them to listen to their body's needs more attentively.
Physiologically, the deep slow wave sleep phases become shorter. In my consultations, I frequently observe that people estimate their need for sleep based on their past. They will therefore try to get the same amount of sleep in retirement, even though they don't need as much.
We cannot, simply by our own will, change our physiological needs! Look at the biological circadian rhythm (the sleep-wake rhythm that marks the daily life of most animals and plants): it is a widely observable reality. We are made to be active or passive. Sleeping cannot be equated with laziness; it is necessary for recovery.
For Tim Cook, the head of Apple, sleep is "something that losers do". Many other leaders point to their short nights as the reason for their success. Can't we save sleep time to perform better?
Start by identifying the length of sleep that suits you best; intuitively, you may find that
How can you train yourself to sleep better?
eight hours is your ideal average. So make sure you give yourself that ideal daily rest time. And two hours before going to bed, avoid screens or stimulating activities. Biologically, the secretion of a hormone that helps us sleep, melatonin, must begin two hours before falling asleep. If you still want to enjoy watching a relaxing TV series, do so with orange glasses that protect you from blue light. You can also pay attention to your diet. Avoid eating too much fat too late, as this may disturb your sleep.
8
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software