Difficulty falling asleep, insomnia

To feel fresh and rested, everyone needs a certain amount of sleep . The risks and disorders caused by a lack of sleep are well known. However, prolonging rest time to the maximum, for example by forcing yourself to stay in bed, runs the risk of lightening, fragmenting and disorganizing sleep. So it's vital to get to know yourself so you can give yourself the recovery time you need, no more, no less. 

Falling asleep

We fall asleep more quickly if we go to bed just as the signs of fatigue appear (yawning, blinking eyelids, itchy eyes, heavy, drooping head, reduced attention and concentration, etc.). If you resist, the desire to sleep will pass after about a quarter of an hour, and only return 1h30 to 2h later (duration of a sleep cycle). Generally speaking, for the same person, the need for sleep occurs at the same time every day. To fall asleep quickly, it's important to know and respect your "sleep time", because if you let the train go by, you run the risk of having to wait for the next one. There are two major pitfalls to avoid in this area : Trying at all costs to fall asleep against the clock, when the brain is overactive. If sleep doesn't come, it's better to get up and wait for the next cycle to arrive.

Insomnia

Accidental or occasional insomnia is caused by an exceptional, easily identifiable event (strong emotion, pain, stressful event, change in lifestyle, etc.). It can also happen that during a micro-awakening (which occurs several times during a normal night), an external element (noise, light, etc.) disturbs the sleeper and prevents the succession of cycles. In this case, the sleeper may remain awake for the duration of a cycle, before falling back into a deep sleep. This type of insomnia is nothing to worry about, as the sleep delay can be made up in just one or two nights.

Chronic or recurrentinsomnia, linked to environmental causes, poor lifestyle, depression, psychological disorders, various syndromes, etc., must be taken very seriously and treated by a doctor. Take sleeping pills only when prescribed by a doctor, and as little as possible.

Finally, there are other, rarer, but just as annoying sleep disorders that can disrupt your nights: snoring, leg twitching, teeth grinding, nightmares, sleepwalking, pauses in breathing, hypersomnia.... Talk to your doctor.

What are the possible causes of these sleeping difficulties? In fact, there are many possible causes, and it's important, before resorting to sleeping pills (always on medical advice), to have sought and tried to eliminate them all. These may include :   all illnesses, including depression   certain medications   abuse of stimulants (coffee, tea, tobacco, vitamins, etc.)   alcohol abuse (contrary to popular belief)   the disruption of biological rhythms   sedentary lifestyle, lack of mental or physical activity   overly stimulating or sporting activities after a certain time   overwork   anxiety   sleeping environment (noise, light, poor mattress....)   poor eating habits, heavy meals in the evening...