Do you have a hard time waking up every morning? That’s normal

One thing is clear. if it is rare to wake up every morning with the energy of a walk on a fluorescent bike, then from the beginning of January it is clear that the difficulty of opening your eyes and then starting the day has increased. a notch. The symptoms are classic: sometimes longer nights, feeling sluggish in the morning, fatigue despite apparently good quality sleep, or brain damage that occurs hours after going to bed. Nothing more normal. Demonstration:

The effect of the season

The first culprit of this wave of lethargy raging the country at the beginning of January is obvious: the season. We are all more or less sensitive to it, but winter affects our mood and body due to the decrease in natural light. When some leave their houses in the morning, it is dark, when they return, it is also dark. However, outdoor light helps regulate our internal biological clock. When it decreases or we do not expose ourselves to it enough, the rhythms are disrupted. “Without talking about seasonal depression, we know that for the majority of the population, the lack of light is accompanied by a feeling of lower physical fitness than usual and a greater tendency to sleep,” comments Dr. Philippe Beaulieu, somnologist and cognitive-behavioral therapist;

The fall in light also makes us “produce a little bit of melatonin (the sleep hormone) during the day,” adds Vanessa Slimani, a psychiatrist and practitioner attached to the department of sleep pathologies at Pitié-Salpêtrière (Paris). It’s why we’re tired and have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and it affects mood and seasonal depression.”

The sun’s rays also burn less in winter than in summer. “The difference is significant. during a summer day, natural light is estimated at 100 to 130,000 lux, compared to 2,000 to 20,000 in winter,” chronologist Claire Leconte points out.

Consequence of health context

This decline in overall form can also be attributed to what we have been experiencing for almost two years. “Profiles of hypersleepers have been found in the consequences of the health situation,” says Dr. Philippe Beaulieu.

More precisely, these periods of epidemic waves act on our rhythms, desynchronizing the markers that regulate the biological clock. Result? Sleep and its quality are disturbed. “Some have degraded nights and others have what we call phase shifts. Obviously we see a lack of reference points and sleep moments that change.”

Profiles of hyper sleepers have been identified as a consequence of the health situation

Philippe Beaulieu, somnologist

Unsurprisingly, the current climate also produces a dose of chronic stress, ‘with the worry of illness or even the resurgence of remote work, which is liberating for some and severely limiting for others. Not forgetting that we are immersed in the context of uncertainty, and that the human brain does not like it,” explains the somnologist. Finally, and without realizing it, some people may also experience more restless nights with more oppressive dream activity.

Simple tips to fix it

Chronobiologist Claire Leconte reminds us that to improve your condition when you get out of bed, it’s important to get some daylight. “We are obliged to have at least one hour of natural light a day. Lunch break is the best time to take advantage of this, as the light is at its best there. You can have a quick lunch, for example, then go out, or prepare to eat and have lunch outside,” advises the specialist.

We can also use light therapy lamps, which have been recommended as a treatment for seasonal depression since 2005. “The bulb sends a strong signal to the ‘biological clock’, which regulates it.” By addressing this, we eliminate the presence of melatonin (sleep hormone) in the brain, have an energy-boosting and anti-depressant effect,” explains Philippe Beaulieu. The effects are felt after three to four days of use, says Vanessa Slimani. “As long as you’re exposed to it every morning until March or April, when you get natural light, 30 minutes, the lamp 20cm from your face, 10,000 lux.”

Lunch break is when natural light is at its best

Claire LeConte, Chronologist

Sports are the second major synchronizer of the biological clock. And even if we don’t feel strong, we need to make an effort to avoid the vicious cycle of fatigue that leads to fatigue. Since natural light is the best there, Claire LeConte advises taking advantage of the moment to engage in physical activity.. “Besides, sport strengthens its influence,” explains the chronicler.

Furthermore, some people think they are sleeping properly, but this is not necessarily the case. “Then you need to respect your sleep needs as much as possible,” adds Claire LeConte, “paying attention to when you’re sure to fall asleep quickly.” When we suddenly catch a cold, for example, when we go to sleep, this means that the brain is ready to sleep. Recall that screens delay the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, so we stay away from them a few hours before bedtime.

For his part, Dr. Philippe Beaulieu advises not to change your sleeping and waking hours, even if the temptation is great when working remotely. “If I don’t sleep in the morning, I get up,” says the doctor. If we increase the time spent in bed, we will wake up after episodes of poor quality sleep, the feeling of recovery will be less good.

To improve your mood, make sure you eat three meals a day and your daily plates are balanced. You can add dry fruits. “Probiotics have a positive effect, we can supplement or choose foods containing the amino acid responsible for the release of serotonin in winter, (nicknamed the good-humor hormone found in citrus fruits, Editor’s Note:) Its production depends on another amino acid, tryptophan, which must be obtained from meat, poultry, dairy products, and even nuts. Finally, Dr. Vanessa Slimani recommends avoiding iron deficiency, especially for women who suffer more from periods and vitamin D deficiency.

*Originally published in January 2021, this article has been updated.