Sleep should occupy about a third of our lives. Often seen as a waste of time, it is of paramount importance for our health and well-being, just like diet or physical exercise.

What are its exact functions? What are the sleep cycles? What are the repercussions of poor sleep or too short nights? How to improve it? How can diet and micro-nutrition help?

Find "60 minutes for better sleep", short videos offering practical tools to get back to sleep, on formation.bn-nutrition.ch!

Sleep - What are the external disruptive factors and how to overcome them?

As we saw in the first article of our thematic week on sleep, almost ⅓ of the population suffers from sleep problems, with all the side effects they can entail.

Our ambassador Lionel Fleury, a talented osteopath based in Murten, tells us more about the elements that can disturb your sleep... and especially how to remedy them!

"Many factors can compromise our sense of security, which triggers chronic hyper sympathicotonia in us, detrimental to our entire body and especially the quality of our sleep.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most frequent reasons that you will find in the form of small questions.

Is my house safe? Am I safe in my home? Am I afraid that someone will break into my house? To be burgled or assaulted in my home?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions here are some elements of response. Seek to secure your house or apartment with the anti intrusion system of your choice, buy a big dog, manage to go out with Schwarzi's lookalike !!!

Do you not feel at home? Do you hesitate to return home in the evening?

If you answered yes, your home is not sweet! You do not recognize yourself in the place where you live, perhaps because your partner or another family member takes up too much space. Reverse the trend, mark your territory avoiding of course to pee in all the corners, it is rarely appreciated by the spouse... A conflict in the household may also be the cause. In this case, it would be better, as far as possible, to try to resolve the situation and achieve peace.

Do you have a soundproofing problem, causing untimely awakenings? Do you hear all the noise from the street, cars, club exits, and other antics? Do you feel like you live in a shared apartment with your dear neighbors?

If yes, move as soon as possible !!!

Do you have screens in your bedroom, TV or other? Is your WIFI on all night? Do you go to bed right after watching TV, computer or any other screen? Is it impossible for you to go to sleep without checking your social network accounts?

If yes, know that the blue light emitted by any screen is a powerful brain stimulant and greatly reduces the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone... No more blue light at least one hour before sleep and no screens where you sleep, not even your phone. WiFi and Bluetooth waves are ultra short frequencies, like the microwave! It's up to you if you want to cook your brain all night! If you don't control your neighbors' ones, at least turn off yours (the closest to you so the most powerful of the list), it's better than nothing.

Do you watch the news every evening at 19:30? Do you tend to watch violent movies, series, or TV shows before going to bed?

If yes, avoid it, even if the charm of Darius Rochebin makes you climb the curtains! Why? Simply because, most of the information conveyed in the news is negative and promotes a feeling of insecurity! All kinds of assaults, murders, rapes, and more. Seeing these images, your subconscious takes them at face value and wonders when it will be your turn... Not sure it promotes sleep!!! Instead, focus on some reading or meditation before going to bed, it helps with falling asleep.

Do you tend to bring work problems and worries home? Can your boss or supervisor reach you at any time of the day or night? You do not have a dedicated workspace at home even though you sometimes work from home?

If yes, to the first question, take 5 minutes before leaving work and reflect on the day, note down the positives on a piece of paper and on another sheet the negatives, unresolved problems, what you didn't have time to finish or do in your day. The positive paper stays on the desk, while the other can be stored in a desk drawer. This way work problems stay confined to work and you do not take them home with you! The next day start by reading the positives from the previous day in order to have a good day ahead, the sheet stored in the drawer can come out when you feel up for it. For the second, turn off your phone before arriving home. For the third, it's simple, set up a dedicated work space at home.

At home, do you never have a minute for yourself? Are you constantly caught up by your thoughts? Are you idealists, or a little perfectionist around the edges? Does everything have to be done immediately, and it's better to do it yourself because it's faster and better done?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, try to relax, refocus on the essentials, that is, on yourself, prioritize more Zen activities like cardiac coherence, meditation, yoga, or even harder, deliberately do nothing for a while and "waste your time", even if just for a moment!!!

Do you worry about a suffering loved one or your own children in difficulty and it haunts you all night long?

In case you answered affirmatively to this question, there is no ready-made solution... Each situation is different and everyone reacts in their own way. But what is certain is that trying to carry the pain of others on your shoulders, especially a loved one, is not going to help them get better or solve their problems. Instead, it just creates one more patient... From experience, I believe the path of empathy and compassion can be healing. Despite the terrible feeling of powerlessness that overwhelms us, all we can do in this kind of situation is to be present, loving, and available when needed. I am also convinced that being able to talk, confide in someone, express frustrations and stop dwelling on worries is also a source of release.

Feelings of insecurity, worries, hassles, stress, overactivity, overwork, pollution (noise, visual, electromagnetic), performance pressure are the source of a chronic hyper sympathetic tone harmful to our entire body and particularly to the quality of our sleep.

Indeed, in this case, the fragile balance of our autonomic system is broken, our parasympathetic is in decline and we have a problem because we are not sleeping anymore!!!

In conclusion, I can only encourage you to take care of your parasympathetic "it is worth it" and above all it will repay you a hundredfold !!! Now knowing that the key is your own feeling of security, nurture it by taking special care of your inner and outer wellbeing. I am convinced that with the implementation of a few Cocooning tips and a few targeted BN Nutrition supplements you will sleep like a log again!"

A big thank you to Lionel Fleury for this article!