The return of the sun, days lengthened by summer time and the possibility of spending more time outdoors are often the cause of real bursts of well-being.
Morale is good and daily motivation is affected!
But the dynamism that punctuates our days is also linked to good sleep.
“Sleeping is a natural mood booster,” summarizes Dr. Verena Senn, neurobiologist and head of research at Emma.
“When you get the right amount of sleep each night, you wake up to the best version of yourself.
You give your body and mind the time they need to recharge their batteries.
And when the batteries are full, you can do anything.
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While many of us can easily see the benefits of a good night's sleep, that doesn't mean we're beyond reproach on the subject.
An IFOP study conducted in 2021 highlights that 29% of French people are dissatisfied with their sleep.
Stress, using the phone before sleeping or even disagreements with the spouse just before going to bed are among the reasons given to explain poor quality sleep.
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Sleeping well can be learned!
When sleep is of poor quality, the causes are often known.
But that does not mean that we are looking to change the situation: entrenched habits can have a very negative impact on sleep over time.
However, we spend a third of our life sleeping, which should be reason enough not to neglect this activity imposed by our body: it is recommended to sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night.
Even if you have trouble falling asleep or tend to wake up during the night, you can improve the quality and duration of your sleep by adopting certain habits.
Emma's sleep experts have looked into the matter.
Five tips to improve your sleep
Exercise daily
Exercising every day doesn't have to mean doing a sport intensively: it can be as simple as walking briskly around the neighborhood, biking home from work, or even dancing in your living room with a little music!
Moving at a moderate pace allows the body to secrete cortisol, which is the stress hormone.
Cortisol helps the body find energy to function during exercise and therefore helps bring fatigue to an end.
The more you tire during the day, the more your body will need to recover.
Emma's experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, about 2-3 hours before bedtime.
If you're athletic by nature, you may need to move longer to really experience the benefits of exercise.
It should also be noted that playing sports does not only have benefits for sleep: your morale and your health also benefit!
Turn off your screens early enough
A large number of studies highlight the role of screens in poor sleep.
Light tends to strongly disrupt the circadian rhythm.
This is even more the case of blue light, in particular emitted by smartphone screens: it activates receptors within the retina, which makes the brain believe that it is still daytime.
So if watching TV just before bed is not a very good idea, diving into social networks from your smartphone while you're already in bed is even less so.
The secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone, is delayed or even suppressed by the body: as a result, you have trouble falling asleep and even when you do, you wake up more frequently.
Insomnia awaits you!
This is why it is recommended to stop using screens at least one hour before bedtime.
Relax, meditate, take a book, listen to music... and sleep peacefully.
Check the quality of your bedding
If you wake up at night with the sensation of feeling the springs of your mattress or the slats of your bed base, if you have back pain, neck pain or headache in the morning, it is possible that your bedding is one of the the causes of your sleep problems.
If your mattress is more than 10 years old, it's probably time to change it.
The ideal is to invest in a quality reference, integrating recent technologies that respond to current sleep issues.
You can turn to Emma's catalog, which is showing up to 40% off right now.
You can turn to the Emma Original mattress or the Emma Hybrid model, and take advantage of 100 nights to try it out.
Chances are your sleep will improve quickly.
Discover all the Emma offers to change your bedding
Create a calming routine
Exercising in the late afternoon and switching off screens after dinner are already good daily practices, but you can go even further.
To get your body used to the approach of bedtime, you can set up a routine to gradually lead you to your bed.
Have a light dinner then take a hot shower or bath, brush your teeth, water the plants, prepare the breakfast table to get ahead the next day, all at a gentle pace, without rushing.
This routine allows your body to understand that the end of the day is coming, and sleep with it.
You can conclude by reading a few pages of your current book, and start a good night's sleep in a room at the right temperature and without light to disturb you.
Meditate to avoid insomnia
If, despite all your precautions, you still have trouble falling asleep, it may be that you need to clear your mind.
"An end-of-day routine can also include one or more relaxation methods," says Dr. Verena Senn.
"It can help reduce blood pressure and heart rate, and thus make it easier to fall asleep."
You can, for example, try the 4-7-8 breathing technique: sit up straight and position your tongue just behind the front teeth on your upper jaw.
Then breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat at least three times to calm the body.
Another method is that of meditation by visualization.
Get into a comfortable position, sitting or lying down, close your eyes and visualize a place, a situation or an object that soothes you.
Take a deep breath as you focus on it and reflect on your choice.
This can help you find serenity and make it easier to fall asleep.
Finally, you can also try progressive muscle relaxation.
This method consists of contracting the muscles of your body in turn (biceps, abdominal muscles and pectoral calves, etc.) and then relaxing them by breathing deeply.
This can help you if you are prone to muscle twitching and tension at the end of the day.
By testing these different tips and integrating them into your daily life, you should be able to improve the quality of your sleep over time.
It's up to you to have a good night's sleep!
