“With videos, I focus on what is being said, not what I am thinking. » It’s a habit adopted by more and more people from Tours. Every evening, before going to sleep, many start a podcast or a video in order to fall asleep with a light background sound. “Listening to podcasts before going to sleep is becoming more and more common”shares Nadège Limousin, neurologist, head of the sleep center at Tours University Hospital.
“These are long videos, often that I have already seen and that I like. It's content that I like and that I know, so I don't have to follow it fully, because I know that I'm not missing anything. Listening to a video puts me in a mental comfort that rocks me”explains Laurie Gourgand, master’s student in the creation of cultural projects in Tours.
“Silence makes me feel anxious”
Audio and video content whose initial goal is far from encouraging sleep. “I watch videos of YouTubers reacting to shows of all kinds”shares Kenza Bailly, middle school visual arts teacher. Laurie falls asleep with replays of horror-style video games, or stories told on the same theme.
Content chosen according to everyone's tastes to relax the mind, but also to avoid being alone with yourself. “Silence often causes me to feel anxious. I'm alone in my bed, in the dark, and I'm thinking about lots of things. The midterms coming up, or the fact that I don't have a license and my code expires in eight months. Distressing thoughts arise and prevent me from sleeping”testifies Laurie.
An identical observation for Kenza. « Silence stresses me out and makes me anxious. If I see that I can't fall asleep, it will stress me out. With videos, I focus on what is being said, not what I am thinking »she confides.
« Thinking about lots of things you have to do leads to states of hyperarousal,” explains Nadège Limousin, from Tours University Hospital. “Listening to podcasts or stories can help you stop thinking about anything, relax, and help you fall asleep »continues the neurologist.
-A ritual before falling asleep
Listening to a video before falling asleep became a habit for Kenza starting in graduate school. For Laurie, it was during Covid. “Young adults are very prone to sleep problems, in part because there are many changes in their lives, concerns about the future, which can be anxiety-provoking”explains Nadège Limousin.
Faced with these concerns, listening to podcasts and videos is a daily comfort to escape from oppressive thoughts. “I have this practice absolutely every evening. I can't sleep without it.”admet Kenza. “When I'm with friends, I put on my headphones so I don't disturb them”adds Laurie.
This ritual is not harmful according to Nadège Limousin: « It is recommended to have some activity before going to bed. Reading is optimal, screens are the worst. But a podcast, we can't say that it's not recommended. »
“The brain needs a sleep signal. It’s good to have bedtime rituals to condition the brain and slow down activity”specifies the neurologist.
However, if listening to a podcast can have beneficial effects, Nadège Limousin warns about screens. “With a video, the eye risks being drawn to the content. Melatonin is the sleep hormone. Faced with screens, the brain understands that it is not necessary to sleep, the secretion of melatonin will therefore be delayed and even reduced during the night.warns the neurologist.
