For many French people, confinement rhymes with bad nights. Between loss of rhythm during the day and anxiety increased tenfold by the severity of the coronavirus epidemic, many complain of sleep disturbances for three weeks. Invited Wednesday of Without Appointment , on Europe 1, the sleep doctor and president of the Morphée network gave some advice on getting back into the habit of sleeping well.
Why does containment cause sleep disturbances?
Since the start of confinement, the Morphée network has received numerous calls from people claiming to be victims of sleep disorders. "They want to know if it's normal to have trouble falling asleep, to wake up during the night, to have a shorter sleep, etc.," says Sylvie Royant-Parola. According to the specialist, "there is a repercussion linked both to the ambient anxiety and to the confinement itself". "We are in a system without many relationships with others, in which we do not go out enough and in which we no longer have the time structure that we usually have", continues Sylvie Royant-Parola, and " this creates disruptions in the biological rhythm, and therefore sleep disturbances. "
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"Our biological clock may no longer function normally" in time of confinement, she adds. Thus, "people who go to bed at irregular hours, who will spend more time in bed, will destroy their sleep". If people already suffering from sleep disorders or anxiety disorders "will be increased in the current situation", the guest of Europe 1 specifies that these sleep problems "appear in everyone".
Resume a regular rhythm
"We must resume a rhythm that we will create and structure our time from morning to evening," says Sylvie Royant-Parola, "to make a kind of timetable, with a time where is exposed to light, another where we play sports, and one where we have a social activity, by calling relatives, etc. "
Enjoy the light
Two mechanisms govern sleep, reminds the sleep doctor, "one goes through the organization of our biological clock, and the other goes through the cumulative fatigue during the day. And concerning our biological clock, light is a synchronizer very strong". However, many confined French people are confined to small apartments, sometimes without much light, and will spend a lot of time on their screens. "They will completely truncate their biological clock, which will no longer know if it is day or night, and contribute to shifting the hours," explains Sylvie Royant-Parola, who therefore recommends taking advantage of her balcony, if you have one, or go out once a day. "We have the right to go out and go around the block, and take advantage of natural light," she recalls.
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Avoid spending time in bed
If you are tired during the day, taking a nap is a good solution, provided it is short. "About twenty minutes and not an hour and a half," warns Sylvie Royant-Parola. More generally, the specialist advises to get as far away from his bed as possible during the day. And if the lack of space requires you to telecommute from your room, the best is to do it from an office. If we are forced to work on our bed, "we must differentiate the position we will have in working time from that which we will have when lying down, sitting down, being dressed", explains the network president again. Morpheus.