SLEEP & LONGEVITY
Guénolé Addor is a keen sportsman, giving him perso- nal insight at an early stage into how our lifestyles affect our health.
“Our lifestyle choices give us some control over how we use our DNA; we can prevent our bodies from self- destructing.”
Is that why you’ve made professional preventive care your speciality ? Yes. As a doctor, it’s at the forefront of my interest in health. Our lifestyles influence and determine our wellbeing, and once the terms are clearly defined, improving wellbeing isn’t usually that difficult or expensive. I practice what I preach, too. For instance, you have to start by paying proper attention to your biological clock, adopting regular habits based on the cycles of nature, the sun and so on. Light is one factor that’s frequently underestimated. Well, for example, getting up to watch the rising sun is a way of resetting yourself; the light gives you an energy boost for the day. That in turn means that we sleep better, and in the long term, enjoy better quality of life. However, we have to make sure to stay clear of artificial light, especially the blue light given off by screens. Unlike the sun, this light decreases melatonin levels and so tends to keep us awake. The problem is that most of us find it difficult to stay away from our devices ! One workaround is to apply a red filter to your phone in the evenings. How does light influence our longevity ?
Personally, I wear a pair of red-tinted glasses when I’m working on my computer at the end of the day. That tends to induce tiredness and in doing so, incites me not to spend too much time looking at a screen. Another option is simply to avoid looking at your devices in the two hours before you go to bed. It’s certainly one way of sparing yourself the stress induced by the global news cycle; it also encourages us to spend more time interacting with people. All of these adjustments can help our wellbeing – and contribute to our indispensable restorative sleep. Is sleep as important as all that ? Scientific literature abounds with papers bearing witness to how important sleep is. Sleep is an anabolic condition during which the body recharges its energy levels, regenerates tissue and manufactures proteins. Without sleep, the human body can’t function properly. Ideally, we need between seven and eight hours’ sleep a day. Tracking your sleep with a watch, smart ring or similar device can be a good plan. What’s the best way to ensure restorative sleep?réparateur ? We need to learn to use the tools nature herself has given us; taking sleeping pills doesn’t guarantee that we’ll experience restorative sleep.
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