If it is rare to wake up every morning with the energy of a step coach in a fluorescent cyclist, since the beginning of January, it is clear that the difficulty of opening the eyes and then starting the day has increased. 'a notch.
The symptoms are classic: sometimes longer nights, a feeling of softness in the morning, fatigue despite apparently good quality sleep, or a brain that emerges several hours after getting out of bed.
Nothing more normal.
Demonstration.
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The impact of the season
The first culprit of this wave of lethargy which falls on the country at the beginning of January is all found: the season. We are each more or less sensitive to it, but winter affects our mood and our body due to the reduction in natural light. When some leave their homes in the morning, it is dark, when they return, it is also dark. However, external light helps to regulate our internal biological clock. When it decreases or we are not exposed to it enough, the rhythms are disturbed. "Without necessarily talking about seasonal depression, we know that for a majority of the population, the lack of light is accompanied by a feeling of the level of form less good than usual and a greater propensity to sleep", comments Dr. Philippe Beaulieu,somnologist and cognitive-behavioral therapist.
15 objects and accessories to finally sleep better
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
The drop in light also makes us "make a little melatonin (the sleep hormone) during the day," adds Vanessa Slimani, psychiatrist and practitioner attached to the sleep pathologies department of Pitié-Salpêtrière (Paris).
It is for this reason that one is tired and that it is difficult to emerge in the morning, and this impacts mood and seasonal depression ”.
The sun's rays are also less bright in winter than in summer.
"The difference is significant: during a summer day, natural light is evaluated between 100 and 130,000 lux, against 2,000 to 20,000 in winter", illustrates chronobiologist Claire Leconte.
A consequence of the health context
This overall decline in shape can also be attributed to what we have been experiencing for almost two years.
"Profiles of hyper sleepers have been identified in the consequences of the health situation", reports Dr Philippe Beaulieu.
More precisely, these periods of epidemic waves act on our rhythms by desynchronizing the markers that regulate the biological clock.
Results ?
Sleep and its quality are altered.
“Some have degraded nights and others have what we call phase shifts.
Clearly we see an absence of landmarks and the moments of sleep that are shifted. "
Profiles of hyper sleepers have been identified in the consequences of the health situationphilippe beaulieu, somnologist doctor
Unsurprisingly, the current atmosphere is also generating a dose of chronic stress, "with the anxiety of illness or the resurgence of teleworking which for some is liberating but for others very confining.
Without forgetting that we are in a context of uncertainty and that the human brain does not like that, ”explains the somnologist.
Finally, and without realizing it, some may also experience more restless nights with more oppressive dreaming activity.
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Simple tips to fix it
To improve your condition when you get out of bed, chronobiologist Claire Leconte reminds us: it is essential to expose yourself to daylight. “We force ourselves to have a minimum of one hour of natural light every day. To benefit from it, the lunch break is the best time because the light is the best. You can have lunch quickly, for example, then go out, or prepare to eat and have lunch outside, ”recommends the professional.
You can also use light therapy lamps, recommended as a medical treatment for seasonal depression since 2005. "The lamp sends a strong signal to" biological watchmaking ", it regulates it.
By being exposed to it, we eliminate the presence of melatonin (the sleep hormone) in the brain, we have an energizing and antidepressant effect, ”specifies Philippe Beaulieu.
The effects are felt three to four days after use, says Vanessa Slimani.
"As long as you are exposed to it every morning until March or April, when you get natural light, for 30 minutes, the lamp 20 cm from the face, at 10,000 lux."
The lunch break is when natural light is the best, tells the story, chronobiologist
Sport is the second great synchronizer of the biological clock.
And even if one does not feel the strength, an effort is essential to be made to avoid the vicious cycle of fatigue which calls for fatigue.
As the natural light is the best there, Claire Leconte advises to take advantage of the moment to practice a physical activity
.
“In addition, sport amplifies its effects,” explains the chronobiologist.
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In addition, some believe that they sleep well, but this is not necessarily the case.
"You must therefore respect your need for sleep as much as possible," adds Claire Leconte, "being attentive when you are sure to fall asleep quickly."
When we are suddenly cold, for example, we go to bed, that means the brain is ready to sleep. "
As a reminder, screens delay the onset of melatonin, the sleep hormone, so we move away from it several hours before bedtime.
Stay alert to your condition
Claire Leconte recommends to those who are really suffering to do a clinical assessment with a doctor.
“We know that the seasonal depression ends in the spring.
Some live well with it but others don't, and we know it can be as serious as mainstream depression. ”
For his part, Dr. Philippe Beaulieu recommends not to shift his bedtime and waking up, even if the temptation is great in teleworking.
“If I don't sleep in the morning, I get up,” says the doctor.
If we extend the time spent in bed, we will get up after periods of poor sleepiness, the feeling of recovery will be less good. ”
To improve your mood, you make sure to eat three meals a day and that your daily plates are balanced. You can add dried fruits. "Probiotics have a positive effect, we can supplement in winter or choose foods containing the amino acid at the origin of the secretion of serotonin, (
nicknamed the good mood hormone, which can be found in citrus fruits). , Editor's note
). Its production depends on another amino acid, tryptophan, to be found in meat, poultry, dairy products or even nuts. " Finally, the doctor Vanessa Slimani recommends avoiding iron deficiencies in particular, particularly for women, more concerned because of the rules, and vitamin D.
* Originally published in January 2021, this article has been updated.
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