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Reconcile sleep and professional life

Reconcile sleep and professional life

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping and yet sleep is often mistreated these days. This beautiful mechanism undergoes the evolution of our modes and our rhythms of life, at a time when the principle of immediacy and acceleration always propels us further and faster.

However, the body has its limits and chronic stress is one of the manifestations of this pressure that commonly seeps into our daily lives. It acts directly on our sleep with difficulty falling asleep and/or nocturnal and especially early awakenings.

In addition, lack of sleep is a stress activator:I sleep badly, I am more easily stressed, I tolerate annoyances, constraints less well, my stress increases... and if I am stressed, I have sleep disorders. , even insomnia. It's a real vicious circle!

It is also known that stress is one of the first causes of occasional insomnia, also called reactive or psychogenic.

But beware, stress is not negative in itself:it is a reaction according to the adaptation syndrome. Faced with a situation perceived as threatening, a whole physiological reaction will prepare the body to respond to it. Certain functions, such as heart rate, will increase, as well as the secretion of certain hormones (adrenaline, cortisol).

Repetitive or persistent stress can cause a kind of runaway that will put a lot of strain on the body:it then risks drawing on its reserves. Over time, the body becomes exhausted, the immune system weakens and a whole cohort of disorders can appear, reinforced by lack of sleep.

In the professional context, we speak of stress at work when a person feels an imbalance between what they are asked to do and the resources they have to respond to them.

Anyway, if the origins of chronic stress are multifactorial, it frequently impacts sleep and therefore health and often has repercussions on work with:

  • Increased stress (stress is self-sustaining!)
  • Demotivation
  • Reduced alertness and drowsiness
  • Risk of errors, decision-making difficulty
  • Absenteeism, presenteeism
  • Accidents at work
  • Road accidents
  • Reactive insomnia

It is therefore important to relieve stress to preserve his sleep.

Sleep and Diet

Our biological clock orchestrates many rhythms, including the production of the satiety hormone, leptin, in greater quantities at night, and the hunger hormone, ghrelin, during the day. We are simply genetically programmed to eat during the day and “fast” at night!

Meals are time givers that will induce rhythmicity and help body memory to identify these key moments. Dinner, the 3rd meal of the day, will thus announce the approach of the period of falling asleep. And of course the content of the plate influences the quality of sleep.

There, more than ever, it is a question of balance, in the composition, the quantity and the few obstacles to the good rules...

In general, here are the recommended recommendations:

  • Respect the 3 meals a day at regular times
  • Dine if possible at least 2 hours before bedtime, so as not to disturb digestion. The work of digestion increases the internal temperature, a sign of awakening
  • Sugars are sleep inducers so choose carbs before bedtime. If pasta, rice and other cereals are therefore to be preferred, do you prefer them complete or semi-complete, in reasonable quantities so as not to burden digestion? Fruit, preferably outside the meal (except for people with diabetes), vegetables of your choice, and foods rich in tryptophan* to facilitate sleep
  • Avoid eating protein in the evening such as meat, which will provide energy, conducive to awakening
  • Choose a light, low-alcohol meal. Alcohol disrupts sleep and promotes snoring
  • A herbal tea** or hot drink is recommended:it will help lower the internal temperature through a heat exchange mechanism, a good signal for sleep
  • Avoid coffee within 5-6 hours of bedtime as it has a half-life 4-6 hours after drinking it. It gives a more important light slow sleep. Robusta is stronger than Arabica (twice as much caffeine)
  • Tea, cola, alcohol, tobacco, vitamin C, energy drinks, etc.:all stimulants taken close to bedtime can thwart the onset of sleep

Namely:not sleeping stimulates the appetite, increases snacking and promotes weight gain!

*Tryptophan is an amino acid present in almost all food proteins and allows the brain to produce serotonin, essential for the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. It is found in pulses, bananas, dark chocolate, cashew nuts...

**Valerian, passion flower, verbena or hawthorn flower have relaxing properties, especially if they come from an herbalist!

Sleep and screens

We would have lost more than an hour of sleep a day for the past 50 years! Our lifestyles are a major contributor to this development, starting with the arrival of electricity in 1879. Since then, our modern world has upset the day/night balance.

The simple fact of being able to light a lamp thanks to electricity encourages people to continue their personal and professional activities, including night work, which today concerns 1 out of 4 employees. This phenomenon has been amplified with the arrival of television in the 1960s, all the more strongly as the programs were subsequently broadcast later and later at night. And then new technologies, like DVDs, live recording, made viewers delay bedtime even further.

But the second revolution, after electricity, is undoubtedly the arrival of the Internet in our homes around 1994. Not only does television no longer have the monopoly of night owls, but access to all kinds of information encourages us to watch while forgetting the needs of the body. And, the evolution of new technologies only confirms an observation:we neglect our sleep.

And what about the latest revolution, around 2007, with the arrival of the smartphone:the technological “cuddly toy” that accompanies you everywhere, in any situation and of course in bed…

In summary, televisions, phones, laptops, tablets, e-readers, etc. lead to a hyperconnection and hyperstimulation of our brain, thus having a direct impact on our sleep.

Several reasons for this:

  • Our biological clock, which governs our sleep/wake rhythms, among other things, is synchronized over 24 hours with social rhythms (wake up and bedtime, meals, activities) and with light. Indeed, light and especially blue light from screens delays the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Hence, despite fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, or even staying awake.
  • A very often observed consequence, especially in adolescents and young adults:desynchronization with phase delays. In other words, the clock shifts and the body will get into the habit of expressing its need for nocturnal rest very late, from one o'clock in the morning for example, and of initiating a later natural awakening* . This shift represents a natural physiological reaction in adolescents but is reinforced by internet connections or the use of a smartphone at late hours. Hence a difficult awakening in the morning, even very difficult!
  • The pressure of sleep is thwarted by the state of hypervigilance caused by these permanent stimulations, which leads to difficulty falling asleep, and concomitantly, the stress of not being able to sleep
  • The last look trap:this little glance to check if I have not received an SMS or an alert on one of the many social networks, to find information for the next day (even if it can wait) , in short, being monopolized by this blue light so harmful to sleep. Habit, reflex, addictive tendency (especially for online games):it is up to everyone to take care to limit the use of new information and communication technologies (NTIC) in the evening due to their time-consuming nature, to preserve the well- be body and mind and have a good night. And so, live the next day to the best of your ability.

Anyway, new technologies impact our lifestyles and affect all generations, so that we can speak of a real “social jetlag”.

* Note that a late awakening will be less recuperative:noisier environment, increase in temperature, more clarity...

Sleep and lifestyle:a see good sleep hygiene

During the day:

  • Moving, being active, will increase the "sleep pressure", this need to sleep at night, and the body will seek recovery time easier.
  • Go out during the lunch break to capture natural light, stronger in the early afternoon (even through a cloudy layer), to promote awakening.
  • Engage in physical activity. Its advantages:

– Ease of falling asleep
– Less frequent nocturnal awakenings
– More regular sleep rhythms
– Increased sleep duration
– Better daytime alertness

  • Ensure your dietary balance :what you eat helps you fall asleep or wake up!
  • Take breaks, relax to properly manage your energy throughout the day and release stress. If necessary, take a nap .

In the evening:

  • Avoid bright light at least 1 hour before bedtime and especially blue light screens which block the production of melatonin , the sleep hormone
  • Stop, preferably 2 hours before bedtime, all physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity
  • Create your bedtime rite to send messages that the body will memorize, in order to prepare it for falling asleep
  • Respond to the first signs of fatigue to get on the sleep train when he is at the station! Don't let yourself be "trapped" by the good movie or the captivating book...
  • Respect your chronotype, i.e. know if you are more of a “morning character” or an “evening character”. In the first case, it will be better to go to bed early in the evening since you will wake up early. If you are an “evening character”, there is no point in going to bed with your spouse “go to bed early”! You won't fall asleep before your time! Likewise, if your genetic programming is a “long sleeper”, plan enough sleep time to recover.
  • Have regular hours, weekends included, to properly adjust your biological clock. It is she who governs your rhythms and in particular the sleep/wake rhythm
  • Favor an environment conducive to sleep:

– Remove screens from the bedroom (computer, television, smartphone, etc.); bring complete darkness when sleeping
– Have a well-ventilated room, with a temperature around 18/20° if possible
– Avoid sources of noise:sleeping in a noisy environment is less restorative
– The quality of bedding is an important factor for good sleep:remember to change it every 10 years or so
– The bedroom is a place to sleep. It is therefore strongly advised not to eat in bed, to work there or to chat there...

Naps

Aside from the weekend, naps have no place in our culture. However, it is institutionalized in China and some Japanese companies do not hesitate to encourage their employees to practice it in the workplace. It might come as a surprise unless you take into account the needs of the body.

Indeed, we are all subject to a curve of vigilance, that is to say that we experience peaks of vigilance, where we feel a renewed energy, in particular around 10 a.m. and then around 5 p.m. On the other hand, our body requires a rest especially at two key moments:

  • The one we can easily spot, usually after 9 p.m., and which announces the night's sleep.
  • And then between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. In this niche, many of us struggle with a need to close our eyes, to pause for a few moments. This is normal, it is a “door to sleep”, more marked if the meal has been copious, but which we all experience. Indeed, the body manifests the need to take a break.

These manifestations are more or less sensitive depending on the activity of the day. Anyway, the body always seeks to return to balance through internal regulation processes, it is homeostasis:if I have been very active, if physical and/or intellectual/emotional fatigue is important, then the need for sleep will be more pressing.

In fact, more often than not we don't give ourselves this break and we struggle to stay awake, when it would be wiser to take a little nap to save money and "live better" the rest of the day.

There are several types of naps:

  • the flash nap:lasting 1 to 5 minutes, it is enough to boost energy, however it is not a real sleep (since you do not enter a sleep cycle properly spoken).
  • micro-nap or parking nap:recommended by road safety when you hit the road, it takes less than 20/30 minutes (no more so as not to go into a sleep cycle); the person remains in light sleep
  • the southern siesta, known as royal:no more than one sleep cycle, i.e. an average of 1h30; it is recommended in case of lack of sleep; be careful that it does not encroach on your night's sleep!

The benefits of a nap

A few minutes are enough for some people to recover. It is up to everyone to know their sleep pattern to know how long a nap will be beneficial for them.

Anyway, the nap promotes muscle recovery, a drop in dopamine and cortisol (the stress hormone). It will have the effect of increasing alertness, memorization and concentration. It also allows you to recover from a sleep debt. It is important to position it preferably in the middle of the day.

Note:a one-hour nap may cause an unpleasant awakening:this is normal. A good awakening occurs at the end of a complete cycle.

References

Sources

    • National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance
    • The Morpheus network
    • French Society for Sleep Medicine and Research (SFRMS)
    • Legifrance. Law No. 2001-397 of May 9, 2001 on professional equality between women and men
    • Ministry of Employment, Social Cohesion and Housing. Night and evening work for ten years:faster progress for women than for men. October 2005
    • National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance. Sleep and work. Coll. Sleep diaries
    • Road prevention. Drowsy driving


Writing

  • The Prevention Offer team of the Mutualité Française
  • Christine Ramonnet, sophrologist