Insomnia: what are the alternatives to sleeping pills?

OUR HEALTH TIPS - On the occasion of International Sleep Day which takes place this Friday, focus on this problem which affects more than one in ten French people.

Whole nights staring at the ceiling without being able to sleep a wink, untimely nocturnal awakenings without being able to find Morpheus' arms... Who has never experienced insomnia at least once in their life? If it remains occasional for most people, 15% to 20% of French people are regularly affected. With the key, a diminished physical form and an unstable mood. So to be able to sleep, a third of these chronic involuntary night owls take sleeping pills. Medications which, in the long term, are not without risk. What are the alternatives? Le Figaro takes stock.

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What is insomnia?

Before treating your insomnia, you still have to be sure that you are insomniac. “Chronic insomnia meets specific criteria,” explains Professor Damien Léger, head of the sleep center at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris. “There are three types of insomnia: sleep onset insomnia, when the patient takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep; sleep maintenance insomnia, when he wakes up for more than 30 minutes several times during the night; and insomnia by early awakening, when he wakes up an hour before the chosen time. We only speak of insomnia if one or more of these signs have appeared several times a week for more than three months, with an impact on daily life.

“A psychic cause is often incriminated without there having been the search for an organic origin beforehand.”

Pr Damien Léger, head of the sleep center at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris.

To overcome insomnia, you must first try to find the cause, which is not always easy. This inability to sleep can be due to an illness or disorder, such as sleep apnea, chronic pain or the side effects of certain medications. Insomnia can also be the consequence of psychological problems (anxiety disorders, depression, etc.).

But things are not always so compartmentalized: body and mind being intimately linked, insomnia caused by chronic pain can in turn lead to depression, which will reinforce insomnia. “A psychological cause is often incriminated without there having been a preliminary search for an organic cause”, however warns Professor Léger. Hence the importance of a precise questioning of the person, accompanied by a rigorous clinical examination and, in certain cases, a blood test.

If insomnia is the consequence of a disease, it is necessary to start by taking care of this disease. In the case of chronic pain, for example, painkillers are often essential to find better sleep.

Whatever the cause, treating insomnia begins with common sense measures. Go to bed and get up at regular times; avoiding the consumption of coffee, alcohol and tobacco before going to bed; properly regulate the temperature of his room; do not use a screen within 30 minutes of falling asleep; do not overeat in the evening; avoid all sources of noise pollution; Finally, practice regular physical activity.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy: an effective alternative

In addition, several non-drug alternatives have proven their effectiveness. This is the case of cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT), practiced by psychologists and specialized doctors, which aim to change certain habits and erroneous thoughts. The objective is to reduce the anxiety generated by insomnia because it is an aggravating factor.

“In my hospital department, CBT sessions take place over 5 sessions of 2 hours with groups of 8 to 10 people,” explains Professor Léger. “Thanks to a sleep diary that he fills in daily, the patient identifies the bad habits and thoughts that promote his insomnia and then learns to modify them. It de-dramatizes his disorder and thus reduces the anxiety that disturbs his sleep. Nevertheless, there are still too few units like that of the Hôtel-Dieu and only about a hundred practitioners specializing in sleep CBT (doctors and psychologists) work throughout the territory.

Relaxation methods such as sophrology, based on breathing exercises, also improve the quality of sleep.