A French person sleeps on average 6 hours and 42 minutes per night. This may not seem like much, but over a lifetime, it represents a third of our life spent in bed. To have a good quality of sleep, you should have at least 7 hours of sleep.
The importance of sleeping well for our health
These seven to eight hours of sleepthis is the time needed for our body to regenerate and function properly. Moreover, not sleeping enough is very detrimental to health.
The phases of sleep
We should not speak of sleep, but rather of sleeps in the plural, since in reality a night is composed of a slow wave sleep phase and a REM sleep phase.
This first phase of slow sleep includes four stages ranging from stage 1 corresponding to the transition between wakefulness and falling asleep, to stage 4 which is that of deep sleepDuring this phase, the body’s functions gradually slow down.
Then comes the REM sleep phase, during which brain activity increases until it becomes as intense as when we are awake: this is when we dream.
Why do we talk about REM sleep?
During this phase, our body experiences a real paradox. On the one hand, the body is completely inertthe muscles are paralyzed. On the other, the brain “carburetes”it is very active, causing very rapid eye movements (the famous REM or Rapid Eye Movement).
At the end of these two phases, which last 90 minutes on average, the cycle ends and a new one begins. Three to five cycles will follow one another in this way throughout the night sleep.
While the average for an adult is around 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night, some short sleepers are satisfied with just 6 hours to be in good shape, while others will need at least 9 hours to recharge their batteries.
But when sleep is poor quality, even 9 hours of sleep is not enough. A person suffering fromsleep apnea will wake up dozens of times in a single night.
Ce poor quality and intermittent sleep has repercussions during the day, leading to drowsiness and uncontrollable falling asleep.
What is sleep apnea?
In the morning, do you wake up tired and irritable even though you went to bed at a reasonable hour the night before? Perhaps you suffer fromsleep apneaor more precisely of the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (SAUSAGE).
They are characterized by pauses in breathingforcing the brain to trigger the sleeper’s awakening. As they occur a hundred times during the night, they therefore correspond to as many “ micro-awakenings ” Sleep is completely fragmented.
Causes of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is linked to frequent obstructions of the respiratory tract located at the back of the throat. It is favored by certain factors:
weight and sedentary lifestyle: Being overweight is the leading cause of sleep apnea ;
age: we find a Majority of people suffering from sleep apnea in the 45-64 age group. Be careful though, this does not mean that children cannot be affected. Sleep apnea affects about 2% of children between the ages of two and six. In most of them, it is associated with large tonsils and adenoids. Sleep apnea is also common in obese children and adolescents.(4) ;
ENT problems : allergies, operations…
genetic : including considerations of size, position of the jaw, tongue and palate.
Finally, even if they are not the cause of the sleep apnea problem, alcohol, sedatives and tobacco can make the symptoms worse.
Sleep in France
23h15 – This is the average time at which go to bed the French
13,1 % – This is the proportion of adults who report having symptoms chronic insomnia
27,7 % – These are the French in sleep debt
How to recognize sleep apnea?
During the night, people with sleep apnea will experience choking episodes. Breathing may be labored at times. Often, people affected by sleep apnea are snorers and/or have noisy breathing. Sleep is not not at all restorative : it is jerky, agitated and interrupted many times. It may be accompanied by the need to go to the toilet.
The days that followed were difficult: fatigue, headaches, concentration problems… episodes of drowsiness are common. In children, it is rather the opposite: they tend to become hyperactive.
A problem that has been swept under the carpet
Sleep apnea affects a significant portion of the population. 7% of French people report suffering from it, or more than 4 million people, 80% of patients with OSA are not diagnosed.(1).
Sleep apnea is a little-known phenomenon. Many people have it but don’t know it. Sleep apnea is sometimes confused with simple snoring.. If in doubt, do not hesitate to consult a doctor. If necessary, the diagnosis will be confirmed by a precise study of your sleep via recordings.
What to do in case of sleep apnea?
The first thing to do if you suffer from sleep apnea is toeliminate as much as possible the factors mentioned above.
So, avoid alcohol in the evening, but also the drugswhich relax the muscles like those against cramps, but also sleeping pills and tranquilizers. These have the effect of relaxing the throat (alcohol too!) which makes it difficult for air to pass through.
If you are overweight, losing some fat mass will also help you in this regard. A weight loss of 10% already reduces the frequency and duration of sleep apnea by a quarter on average.(2). In addition, in obese people, fatty deposits on the walls of the pharynx contribute to air lock.
Finally, change your sleeping position: apnea occurs most of the time when sleeping on your back. By sleeping on your side, you can reduce the number of obstructions by half.
However, In case of severe apnea, these few measures are not enough. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to the CPAPthat is, the treatment of sleep apnea by continuous positive pressure nocturnal ventilation. This is a kind of vacuum cleaner: a mask connected to a machine supplies air. The device is obviously heavy but it is by far the most effective.
In fact, a severe sleep apnea can be very dangerous: it can lead, in the long term, to cardiovascular diseases or depression, linked to lack of oxygen. In addition, during the day, the somnolences can cause road accidents(2). Finally, sleep apnea can cause asphyxies which are sometimes fatal.
Sleep apnea, what if a cure was possible? Eric Solyom “When it comes to obstructive sleep apnea, the word ‘cure’ seems like a taboo subject. This poses a problem for me, because in the vast majority of cases, it is entirely possible to envisage it.
In cases of moderate apnea, a few solutions can be considered.
The cushion
A simple cushion can be used for prevent the sleeper from positioning himself on his back. Sleeping on your side significantly reduces the number of obstructions during the night.(5).
Oral splint
This is a tray that is placed in the mouth. The device pushes the lower jaw forward and prevents the tongue from folding back and blocking the airway.
Getting into music
But not just any instrument, the goal being of course to work on your breathing. So, by regularly playing the saxophone, the trumpet or why not, the didgeridoo, we improve our breathing capacities.
This may seem funny, but it is nevertheless very serious: a scientific study carried out in 2005 concluded that there was a real improvement in quality of sleep and drowsiness during the day thanks to the practice of didgeridoo(3).
Lingual rehabilitation
Tongue muscle rehabilitation, which is done with a physiotherapist or speech therapist, allows the tongue to regain its tone and proper functioning during the day so that it no longer obstructs the airways at night. Rehabilitation that can reduce or even stop the sleep apnea symptoms.
