Why can’t we sleep when we are exhausted?

Repeated yawning, dark circles under the eyes, feeling sluggish. your body cries itself to sleep. When the evening comes, you will wisely go to bed early, several nights without sleep. And here is the drama. While you’ve resisted fatigue all day, your brain can’t shut down while lying down. But why does Morpheus turn his back on you when you need his arms the most?

Hyper awakening

“If we force ourselves not to sleep for a long time, the body goes into the “hyper-arousal” mode. The sleep system wants to kick in but can’t because the wake system is still active because it’s been stimulated for so long, explains Olivier Coste, a somnologist at the University Hospital of Bordeaux. It’s like you have your foot on the gas and the brake at the same time.” Needless to say, in this particular case, you are cursed. This condition is completely normal. It can also be caused by playing sports late at night or having a particularly stressful day. Your brain is struggling to find the button off since we activated intensively. After a day everything should be back to normal.

Performance anxiety

However, if you’re worried about not being able to sleep, you won’t actually be able to for more than one night. “The fear of not sleeping adds to what we call ‘performance anxiety,’ meaning stress, hyperarousal. This is how most chronic insomnia begins,” emphasizes Dr. Coste.

The fear of not sleeping increases what is called “performance anxiety”, that is, stress, hyperarousal. This is how most chronic insomnia begins

Olivier Coste, a somnologist at the University Hospital of Bordeaux

You’re relaxed, aren’t you? What if you can’t sleep? Very bad. Dim the lights, grab a book instead of turning around the bed 54 times or watching the latest episode of your current series. And most importantly, stop waiting for the next day to be tired or beating yourself up because you can’t sleep.

Respect your schedule

Céline Martineau, a psychiatrist and sleep doctor at the Interdisciplinary Sleep Center in Paris, recommends sticking to your regular schedule for successful sleep. “It’s the same principle as jet lag. You should not change your bedtime. If you go to bed at 8 pm because you haven’t slept for two days, the body won’t be able to do it because melatonin, which is responsible for sleep, is regular from day to day. So fight fatigue instead of crawling into bed at 7pm.

If the reason for your sleepless nights is your baby, who still can’t tell the difference between night and day, then it’s completely normal that you can’t sleep. And this, even if he sleeps like a log. “Parents are told to sleep when the baby sleeps, but despite their extreme fatigue, they can’t do it because their bodies are just not used to these times. In the case of mothers, there is also hypervigilance, in other words, fear that something will happen to their child, which keeps them awake,” the doctor details.

Prepare the body

Parent or not, somnologist Olivier Coste insists that you allow yourself moments of rest so you don’t perpetuate the vicious cycle of insomnia. “Massage, relaxation, daytime sports or meditation… All these exercises will relax the body and prepare it for sleep.” And if the problem continues and seriously strains your nerves, don’t hesitate to contact a specialist.