Insomnia: 7 evening rituals backed by science
Simple gestures to take back control of falling asleep, without sleeping pills.
Léa Marchand, sleep psychologist
Chronic insomnia affects 15 to 20% of French adults, and the share grows with age or extended periods of stress. Before considering any medication, several simple rituals have proven their worth in clinical trials.
1. A fixed bedtime (even on weekends)
It is the cornerstone of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. By syncing your internal clock, you make the natural “sleep window” easier to catch.
2. No screens 30 min before bedtime
Blue light delays melatonin secretion. If you really cannot disconnect, enable your phone’s night mode and lower brightness to the minimum.
3. 5-5-5 heart coherence
Inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds, for 5 minutes. This breathing exercise activates the parasympathetic system and lowers heart rate by an average of 8 to 12 bpm.
4. A bedroom at 18-19°C
A slightly cool environment supports the drop in body temperature needed for sleep onset. A room thermometer lets you check rather than guess.
5. No coffee after 2 p.m.
Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 6 hours. An espresso at 4 p.m. still has roughly a quarter circulating in your body at midnight.
6. Get up quickly if you wake at night
If you do not fall back asleep within 20 minutes, get up, go to another room, read a few pages with dim light. You will avoid “conditioning” your brain to associate the bed with wakefulness.
7. Morning light
Exposing yourself to 15 minutes of natural light (or a light therapy lamp) in the hour after waking advances your circadian cycle and makes evening sleep easier.
And if it is not enough?
Insomnia can hide an underlying sleep disorder (apnea, restless legs, depression). Do not hesitate to consult a sleep doctor if the trouble lasts more than 3 months.
The Apneroo team can offer you accessories (light therapy lamp, heart coherence headset, sleep hygiene kit) and refer you to suitable care.