6:41 am: this is the average length of a night's sleep for a French person, more than an hour less than thirty years ago, according to figures from the National Sleep Institute. Night awakenings, difficulty falling asleep or even insomnia, more than a quarter of French people are affected by sleep disorders.
There are several reasons for these difficulties in getting a normal night's sleep. Experts say it may be a genetic problem first; one can indeed be a sleepwalker from father to son. But this is not the main reason. Today, if we sleep poorly, it is mainly because of our poor lifestyle. Junk food and lack of sport can cause sleep apnea. Unrest can also happen with shift work and too long naps ...
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How to fight against sleep disorders?
Europe 1 contacted a sophrologist to find out how to avoid, or at least reduce, sleep disorders. "Light is extremely important: it is the first time donor to show the brain that it is daytime," explains Patrick Lesage. "The same thing when you are standing, the brain knows that it is day, and that when you are lying down it is night," he continues.
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