As the first departures on vacation approach, Mélanie Gomez gives you advice on how to get behind the wheel in complete safety in Sans Rendez-vous.

With a specialist in sleep medicine, she takes stock of the received ideas to fight against drowsiness in the car, and reviews the right reflexes to adopt.

Turn on the music, drink a lot of coffee, eat before or after the trip ... These are the received ideas to avoid falling asleep at the wheel during a long trip.

With the first departures on vacation arriving, Mélanie Gomez takes an interest in Drowsiness in the Car in Sans Rendez-vous and wonders about the right reflexes to adopt before getting behind the wheel.

His guest Pierre Philippe, head of the sleep medicine department at the Bordeaux University Hospital, gives his advice to avoid any accident.

Because falling asleep at the wheel is the leading cause of death on highways. 

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A chronic sleep debt problem

"This risk is very present in people who have poor sleep hygiene during the year or who suffer from diseases," said the specialist. In the 1990s, a large campaign was launched by the public authorities on this subject. Drivers used to leave very early in the morning to avoid the heat. "We then had an acute sleep debt problem," he continued. 

But a new problem has been identified, namely the chronic sleep debt, that is to say that the French sleep on average 6.40 hours a night - while the physiological needs are 7 hours - and 30% sleep less than 6 hours. hours.

"The important message to deliver is that you really have to sleep very well the days before departure. Because if you pull on the rope and leave having accumulated a debt throughout the year, you has an accidental risk. And whatever the time, "explained Professor Pierre Philippe. 

A 20 to 30 minute nap

Regarding coffee to keep awake, the specialist ensures that this drink does not work on everyone.

"Coffee is linked to a certain genetic heritage and depending on its genes, we may or may not have receptors on the brain that make it work or not," he said.

As for energy drinks, just like coffee, the risk is that in the face of deprivation behavior, the body will catch up with us.

"The most effective solution remains to get some sleep, with a nap of 20 to 30 minutes for example".

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One technique is to have a coffee and take a 10-minute nap immediately after.

"Coffee takes an average of 10 to 15 minutes to act. And when you wake up, it erases what is called sleep inertia and which gives you this feeling of fog," the specialist advised.

Another technique proposed by Professor Pierre Philippe is to control your sleep hygiene using a tool designed for.

"We have published a free application called Kanopée which allows us to identify the optimal times to get up to bed. It seems superfluous but for many of our fellow citizens, to set 49 hours of sleep in the week before taking the road , this is a very good lens for safe driving ".