Nocturnal awakenings, difficulty falling asleepsleep apnea: many French people complain of not sleeping properly. Broken nights that impact physical and mental health. This evil in our society has favored the excitement of numerous treatments and devices to fall into the arms of Morpheus. But for many specialists, some are not effective. It is to bring more clarity into this constant vagueness that 60 Million consumers released a special sleep special issue in January 2025.
This time of nocturnal inactivity is part of vital physiological needs. Its disturbance has impact on energy, vitalityconcentration abilities, quality of life, absenteeism and work stoppages. Several studies have shown a higher prevalence among women, making it a major public health problem.
To combat this evil of the 21st century, 60 Million consumers questioned many specialists. Here is a slideshow of some remedies to improve your sleep.
This type of caps offers a sound reduction capacity of approximately 35 decibels, making it the most effective device on the market provided it is well positioned. “By expanding in the ear canal, they can also exert greater pressure and cause irritation,” however, warns Dr. Jean-Pierre Sénéchaut, ENT in Étampes in Essonne, in 60 Million Consumers.
Connected watches or smartphone applications: these devices allow you to summarize the night spent, such as the duration of deep sleep, the number of micro-awakenings and snoring. But for the doctor in neuroscience and specialist in connected health objects, Maxime Elbaz, it is important not to be fooled. “All these devices work in little or no the same way. They combine motion detection and plethysmography (a set of methods used to measure volumes),” he explains. According to 60 Million consumers, the Apple Watch (449 euros) and Fitbit Charge 6 (160 euros) connected watches are the two most effective.
This plant is known to combat occasional sleep disorders. “The dose necessary to facilitate falling asleep is 400 to 600 mg per dose, up to four times a day,” indicates Dr Séverine Derbré, professor of pharmacognosy at the University of Angers and head of the interuniversity diploma (DIU ) Phytotherapy, herbalism and aromatherapy.
According to Laurence Plumey, nutritionist at Antoine-Béclère hospital in Clamart, 8 p.m. is the ideal time for dinner. “80% of French people need around eight hours of sleep. If you have to get up at 7 a.m., ideally, you should not go to bed after 11 p.m. So you have to get off the table around 9 p.m. to go to bed around 11 p.m. having digested three-quarters of the time and without feeling hungry,” the specialist told 60 Million Consumers.
See the rest of the slideshow
- Melatonin is a hormone naturally secreted by the body, which helps it settle into night mode. “Administered at a low dose, from 0.5 mg to 1 mg, melatonin has a so-called chronobiotic effect: it allows waking and sleeping times to be adjusted,” explains Professor Pierre-Alexis Geoffroy, psychiatrist and sleep doctor at Bichat hospital and the ChronoS center in Paris, in 60 Million consumers. For people who are unable to go to bed early, it is recommended to take melatonin two to six hours before bedtime to help advance the sleep phase. There are two types, hence the importance of asking a health professional for the appropriate one depending on the sleep disorder.
Physical activity acts on the parasympathetic nervous system, whose role is in part to prepare the body for rest by reducing heart rate and breathing. “Regular sports practice acts as a strengthening of the parasympathetic system, leading to an improvement in falling asleep and the quality of sleep”, underlines Dr François Duforez, sports and sleep doctor at the sleep center of the Hotel Hospital. -God in Paris and founder of the European Sleep Center, in 60 Million consumers.
Natural light plays an essential role in sleep. Studies have shown that it is one of the regulators, along with the circadian clock and homeostasis (a set of mechanisms in the body that increases the need for sleep). According to scientists, even in winter, light intensity is sufficient for the proper functioning of the biological clock. So, no excuse not to leave the house.
Sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by pauses in breathing that can last ten to thirty seconds. They can repeat themselves up to 200 times during the night and cause micro-arousals. Partly linked to excess weight, doctors suggest losing body mass to limit the impact of this disorder on health. “These micro-arousals prevent the deepening of sleep. This syndrome can be responsible for exhaustion, headaches, even depression,” explains Professor Anne-Laure Borel, nutritionist at Grenoble University Hospital and author of research studies. research on the link between weight and sleep. In addition to weight loss, the disease is treated with a nocturnal device that pushes air into the pharynx all night to leave it open.
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