- Sleep disturbances increased significantly during confinement.
- But for some, these difficulties persist despite the deconfinement.
- Consequences of confinement, disordered biological clock, anxiety linked to the coronavirus or to a dangerous external environment… Three sleep specialists detail the reasons for these persistent problems.
“At first, confinement was like a game, admits Grazziella, 58. And then very quickly, it became very anxiety-provoking. Over time, sleep disturbance has taken hold. No falling asleep before 4am. And sleepless nights were piling up. This internet user, who answered our call for testimonies, found her job, but not the good nights. “I hope to regain control of my sleep with the general recovery. Because I remain for the moment completely off the mark, very tired when I spent almost two months confined to my home. "
For some French people, who discovered insomnia or saw their sleep problems explode, the deconfinement did not sound their reunion with the sandman. To the point that consumption of sleeping pills increased in the first week after the containment was lifted, by 6.9% compared to the expected level, estimated on the basis of the same period in 2018 and 2019.
The consequences of confinement
"We saw young workers, who were not subject to sleep disorders, come to consult during the deconfinement", explains Céline Martinot, sleep doctor and coordinator of the Morphée Network. It is impossible to say whether these disorders are linked to confinement, to the coronavirus still present, to concerns for the future… or more simply to the fact that the patients had little consultation during this period.
Pierre Philip, head of the Bordeaux CHU sleep clinic, launched on April 20, 2020 a free application called Kanopée, which helps everyone to assess their difficulties with a virtual companion. "One in two people who used our application had a proven medical complaint," he explains. In normal times, epidemiological studies reveal that between 10 and 15% of French people suffer from insomnia. With confinement, international data placed this proportion between 30 and 50%. There has therefore been a massive increase, which is also found for other epidemics. And still today, around 1,000 people use Kanopée every day, witnessing the persistence of this disorder. "
Find the right rhythm
Why ? First, because sleep disorders take a long time to disappear. "Especially if we don't set up a treatment," continues Pierre Philip. However, the medical network is currently saturated. Some pay for the bad habits adopted during the two months of confinement. What Josiane, 64, is experiencing. “Since deconfinement, I have a lighter sleep and am more easily awakened by outside noises. I find it harder to fall asleep. It must be said that the parenthesis of confinement made me lose my time points. "
"The deconfinement is progressive and at double speed," emphasizes Céline Martinot. There are still many people on telework or part-time workers. »Who sometimes postpone the alarm clock ... or simply turn it off. "The more we have insomnia, the more we risk suffering from it," she continues. By taking bad reflexes like going to bed earlier or waking up later. A painful vicious circle when you have to return to school at 8:30 am. Patrick Lemoine insists on the importance of knowing your sleep cycle. "Getting up too late gets depressed, getting up too early anxiety," he sums up. This is why it is important to know if you are morning, chronorigid or chronoflexible. And not to shift this cycle too much, even during holidays, weekends ... or periods as exceptional as the one we have just experienced.
Tenfold anxiety
The second explanation for these nocturnal awakenings is psychological. Many French people have gone through this period of fear in their stomachs, for themselves, for their loved ones, for their business ... And some are gradually recovering from mourning. "Sleep disorders, like addictive behaviors, are early markers of psychosocial stress," insists Pierre Philip. "When anxiety is not taken care of, it tends to worsen," adds Céline Martinot. However, the climate remained very anxiety-provoking. The population faces a lot of uncertainties compared to the Covid, but also to the economic situation. "
For some, the problems did not persist, but appeared at the time of deconfinement. A decompensation when everything should be better because you relax your defenses. Or because the outside world has never seemed so anxiety-provoking, with these masks that hide smiles and elbow checks that replace hugs. "I have observed many patients, especially children, who are terrified of putting their feet up again," explains Patrick Lemoine. For some, this confinement was reassuring. Sleep is the most fragile moment. To sleep, you have to feel completely safe, but some have had a very bad experience of this re-exposure to the world and its dangers. "
Noise and light
For others, the real problem is the return of noise pollution. "With confinement, I was able to appreciate the absolute calm, I slept very well, but since the deconfinement, the noise pollution has resumed more beautifully, I find it hard to get used to it, especially in the evening with the recovery of motorized meal deliverers or people who speak loudly, ”explains Leslie, 30, who takes sleeping pills.
In addition, problems falling asleep can be linked to the season. During the debate on the final adoption of summer or winter time, several doctors insisted that it was better for our sleep. "In general, we sleep an hour less in summer than winter," says Patrick Lemoine. Especially since we are currently at the solstice, so at the time when the night is the shortest. We are the only animal species to have sleep problems because we experienced three divorces with the sun: when we invented fire, light bulbs, and finally screens. "
How to find peaceful nights?
First of all, it is necessary to differentiate small conjunctural insomnia and persistent difficulty falling asleep. "The thermometer is suffering during waking," says Patrick Lemoine. If during the day you are sad, anxious, you should consult. If a person has small sleep problems, they can be helped by herbal teas, yoga, meditation, melatonin. But for him, the best remedy is to get up earlier. Astonishing? “People who do not sleep well, they are made to sleep less, because quality is more important than quantity. "
"You really have to pay attention to the synchronizers: sufficient light exposure, physical exercise in the morning while avoiding the evening because it wakes up, avoiding screens and other anxious stimulation in the evening," advises Céline Martinot, sleep specialist. And we have to deal with the two problems: rhythm and anxiety. "Often, failures are due to forgetting part of the problem," she says. However, a biological clock is like a computer, if you deprogram it, it can no longer function as before. "
Society
Coronavirus: Masked monsters, confinement, thirst for freedom ... Containment also has an impact on our dreams
Society
Coronavirus: Consumption of sleeping pills and tranquilizers up after containment ends
- Deconfinement
- Society
- Coronavirus
- Psychology
- Sleep
- Psychiatry
- Health