Fatigue: to keep going, bet on restorative micro-naps

Taking the holiday marathon is one thing, doing it smart is another.

In particular in an epidemic context which tires as much as it anguishes.

So, to avoid the big pump in the beginning of January, the lifeline is called "micro-nap".

Two sleep specialists provide us with the instructions for this particular sum.

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Are you suffering from the unprecedented wave of fatigue that worries specialists?

Restorative and energizing

The Anglo-Saxons call it

, in other words “energizing nap”. It consists of sleeping only 10 minutes. If apparently this lapse of time seems insignificant in the light of a full night, it actually helps to completely restore vigilance, explains Brice Faraut, neuroscience researcher at the Sleep and Vigilance Center of Hôtel-Dieu. "It helps to improve cognitive performance, working memory and concentration", specifies the scientist, also author of

(1). Capacities which, moreover, are put to the test when one is in sleep debt and thus very drowsy during the day.

But its benefits don't end there.

This light sum also has effects on mood.

This will make you pleasant both at the table and at work.

Significant bonus, the "energizing nap" has the advantage, as its name suggests, of making you immediately operational as soon as you wake up.

“It does not produce slow-deep sleep and therefore does not cause this sleep inertia which makes us feel disoriented, groggy when we wake up,” emphasizes Brice Faraut.

In video, these signs that prove that you are intellectually tired

When and how ?

The best time to do it is at the start of the afternoon.

No need to stare at your watch to start it, just watch the physical signs.

“As with falling asleep at night, a natural drop in temperature, controlled by the biological clock, occurs between 1 and 3 pm,” reports psychiatrist Patrick Lemoine (2).

Very quickly, the chills give way to yawning and muscle relaxation.

"The production of stress hormones, powerful and active in the morning, slows down, and on the other hand the energy necessary for digestion further lowers vigilance," adds neuroscience researcher Brice Faraut.

Neither one nor two, you take a nose dive and you should not especially ignore this call, insists the specialist.

15 objects and accessories to finally sleep better

Ocho tandem blanket - Wopilo

It is very difficult to fall asleep when you are cold.

Especially when the other is constantly pulling on the blanket.

To facilitate household peace and not disturb everyone's sleep, Wopilo offers the tandem ocho pack, two individual duvets and their covers linked by ties.

Results ?

More comfortable nights and fewer micro-awakenings due to the movements of the partner.

Wopilo tandem ocho pack, including two Oeko-tex 100 certified duvets and two GOTS certified duvet covers, available in three sizes and two different weights.

From € 298.

More information on wopilo.com

Wopilo

Recovery Pillow - Blackroll

If you suffer from neck pain, the ergonomic shape memory pillow is ideal.

The Recovery model from the Blackroll brand offers the neck all the support and comfort possible, without the disadvantages of synthetic material (known to make you sweat), since this cushion contains ventilation channels.

Recovery pillow, Blackroll.

Made in Germany according to Oeko-Tex standard 10. 89.90 €.

More information on blackroll.com

Blackroll

"Night Essentials" gift set - Oh My Cream

Who says quality sleep says rested mine.

So many reasons that have pushed the cosmetics brand Oh My Cream to launch a box bringing together the best of aesthetic supplements to perfect their nights.

It all starts with an Indie Lee Sleep List pillow mist, enriched with essential oils of vetiver, chamomile and lavender.

Next comes an organic plant elixir against Atelier Nubio nervousness, with lemon balm and lime extracts.

The final touch of this kit is a Venus & Gaia silk night mask, which leaves no traces, for a rested look when you wake up.

Oh My Cream "Night Essentials" set, for all skin types.

€ 86.

More information on ohmycream.com

Oh My Cream

Zen Morpheus Pebble

In line with its predecessors, the Morphée Zen pebble reduces anxiety and invites a return to calm.

This device contains 72 audio sessions of meditation and sophrology divided into six themes, to be listened to by loudspeaker or with an audio headset.

Small and light, it will never leave you, even on vacation.

Galet Morphée Zen, € 59.95.

Sold exclusively in all Nature & Découvertes stores and on morphee.co

Morpheus

Sleepbuds II headphones - Bose

Eye pads - Chin Mudra

Hybrid mattress - Emma

Sweet Night Box - Huages

Withings Sleep Analyzer sleep sensor

Phyto-acupressure pen - Ylo

Weighted blanket - Nap Lab

HoomBook

Aloha awakening light - Terraillon

Kumo diffuser alarm clock - Aromasound

Night Box - Stones Club

See the slideshow

15 photos

If you do not sink quickly, Brice Faraut recommends adding extra time to fall asleep, between 5 to 10 minutes depending on the sleeper, in which we focus on his breathing.

“The more you take a nap, the easier it will be for you to take it.

It will become a sweet habit ”, promises the researcher

Regarding the environment, Dr Patrick Lemoine recommends taking a micro-nap in daylight.

"In the dark, there is a risk of sending melatonin (

and causing trouble in the biological rhythms", he adds.

If you work from home, you will prefer to sleep on the sofa rather than on the bed to further separate the daytime nap from the night.

If you continue to go to the office, know that it is quite possible to take a nap there, with the means at hand.

"You put your hands flat on the desk and you come to put your forehead on it," suggests the psychiatrist.

Another solution proposed by researcher Brice Faraut: tilt your chair back between 30 to 40 ° and raise your feet on the desk.

A relaxing and creative break

To ensure the effectiveness of this nap, you have to question your awakening energy level. "If we multiply small sums without benefit, this can be a sign of a disorder, like sleep apnea which makes the sleeper a little more tired, nap after nap, suggests Patrick Lemoine. Or the indicator that the sleep debt is not being paid off enough. In this case, we can reschedule another mini-nap at 5 pm or extend the one we take, if we have time, by 20 to 30 minutes. ” "A longer nap strengthens immunity more generally, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, further alleviates stress and pain," says Brice Faraut.

If, despite your best efforts, you have not managed to take a nap, rest assured, this moment is not lost, the specialists insist.

It can easily be transformed into a meditation session.

"By cutting out external stimuli, we reduce mental overload but not drowsiness", nuances the neuroscience researcher.

By cutting out external stimuli, we reduce mental overload but not drowsinessBrice Faraut, neuroscience researcher at the Sleep and Vigilance Center of Hôtel-Dieu

The virtues of "flash nap"

If you do not suffer from a lack of sleep, specialists invite you to try another form of nap, the "

" nap. Unlike its cousin the "

", the objective here is essentially creative. The artist Salvador Dalí also contributed to popularize this technique. "His goal was to seek border states between wakefulness and sleep in order to recover images of his unconscious and nourish his artistic works", details the neuroscience researcher.

Sitting in an armchair, his head resting on the backrest, the painter dozed off while holding a heavy key between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand.

Said key was suspended above a plate.

So that when the latter fell, a few moments later, when falling asleep, the shock came to wake him up.

Total sleep time: between 30 and 90 seconds.

To be tested if you are lacking inspiration for greeting cards.

(1) Brice Faraut is the author of

published by Actes Sud, 256 pages, € 11.

(2) Patrick Lemoine is the author of

published by Odile Jacob, 256 pages, € 17.99.

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