Sleep disorders affect our overall well-being and may indicate an imbalance in the nervous, digestive, or energy systems. At La Clinique Naturelle in Geneva, our therapists work with you to restore balance to the body, calm the mind, and help you regain deep, restorative, and natural sleep. To achieve this, we may recommend treatment in nutrition, sophrology, or Traditional Chinese Medicine.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is the alteration of sleep quality and/or duration. In chronic cases, it is accompanied by daytime disturbances (fatigue, sleepiness, concentration and mood disorders, etc.).
It is one of the main sleep disorders, including parasomnia (sleepwalking, night terrors), hypersomnia (long sleep times and/or excessive daytime sleepiness) and circadian rhythm disorders (sleep-wake rhythms out of sync with light).
According to the Swiss Health Observatory, around 1/3 of adults suffer from sleep disorders, and 10% of adults resort to taking medication (occasionally or daily).
Insomnia can be primary or secondary:
- Primary: insomnia is the disease (not the effect of a disease)
- Secondary: insomnia is a symptom of a pathology
Many causes can disrupt sleep: stress, acute or chronic illness, chemicals, night-time working hours, diet, connected lifestyles...
Insomnia can be occasional or chronic.
Occasional insomnia
It is temporary and can be due to a number of factors which, once identified and optimized, will help you get back to sleep.
Chronic insomnia
It's a long-lasting condition, often the result of a vicious circle linked to bedtime anxiety (the fear of not being able to sleep and not recovering the energy to face the next day).
Why does sleep affect our general condition?
Sleep is a modified state of consciousness that conditions the body's physical and mental recovery. It is therefore essential for good health. It enables us to replenish our energy stores, produce growth hormones, regulate our blood sugar levels, eliminate waste from our bodies, stimulate our immune defenses, regulate our stress and mood and optimize our memory.
When our rhythm is disturbed, our body is weakened. Beyond the feeling of fatigue, we can note :
- reduced psychomotor performance
- reduced judgment
- concentration difficulties
- memory problems
- reduced creativity
- greater irritability
- anxiety
- weight gain
- vision problems
Not to mention that sleep deprivation can also lead to drowsiness, which is responsible for many accidents on the road and at work.
If sleep deprivation persists over the long term, the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and even depression increases.
When should you see a doctor?
If insomnia is accompanied byother symptoms suggesting a secondary cause (weight loss/appetite suppression, pain, palpitations), or if theimpact on daily life becomes significant (sleepiness, irritability, depression, difficulty at work), it's important to consult your doctor.
Lifestyle and nutrition: impact on sleep
A few changes in our daily routine can sometimes help us get back to restful sleep.
Conseils alimentaires pour améliorer la qualité du sommeil
Les habitudes alimentaires peuvent agir sur notre horloge et nos besoins physiologiques.
Ainsi la composition des repas et l’heure à laquelle ils sont pris, peuvent influencer le sommeil. En effet, certains aliments induisent le sommeil et seront à privilégier en fin de journée et le soir alors que d’autres sont stimulants et sont donc à consommer de préférence en début de journée.
Quelques recommandations alimentaires pour bien dormir :
- Manger des sucres lents le soir permet de faciliter la production de sérotonine indispensable à la sécrétion de la mélatonine, hormone qui apporte l’information à l’organisme qu’il fait nuit et qu’il est temps de dormir.
- Incorporez des aliments riches en tryptophanes dans votre menu, cet acide aminé aide à synthétiser la sérotonine et la mélatonine. Les aliments riches en tryptophane que vous pouvez consommer en fin de journée et le soir sont : les œufs, les noix, amandes et noisettes, les produits laitiers, certaines céréales et féculents : avoine, soja, maïs, seigle, sésame, riz, quinoa, les légumes secs : lentilles, pois chiches, haricots secs, le poisson, la banane, le chocolat.
- Miser sur les féculents le soir pour leur apport en tryptophane et pour éviter les fringales nocturnes.
- Il est conseillé́ de dîner 2 à 3 heures avant de se coucher en évitant les repas trop riches en protéines. En effet, la digestion entraine une augmentation de la température du corps (surtout la digestion des viandes), or la baisse de la température interne est une condition indispensable au sommeil.
- Limiter la prise d’excitants tels que café, thé, alcool, nicotine.
Pour un accompagnement personnalisé, vous pouvez consulter un/une nutritionniste qui vous aidera dans la composition de votre assiette.
Plus d’information sur la nutrition ici.👇
Healthy living
There are a few rules to follow:
- Listen to your biological rhythm
- Adapting your bedding
- Avoid screens before going to bed
- Regular physical activity
Sophrology and emotional balance: in-depth work on sleep
Through its breathing exercises and dynamic relaxation, the practice of sophrology acts directly on the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing a state of physical and mental relaxation. Sophronisations, on the other hand, will help you to achieve a genuine sense of well-being and facilitate your progress towards a more peaceful night's sleep.
With the help of simple exercises, the regular practice of sophrology will enable you to approach your nights with calm and confidence, for a restful and invigorating effect.
How does the protocol work?
It is always tailor-made. Its aim is to provide you with personalized tools to help you get rid of fatigue and limiting beliefs about sleep, and to facilitate your return to inner calm and well-being.
Then we'll work on creating a positive state of detachment from sleep disorders. Then we'll focus on activating your vitality so you can feel the benefits.
We'll also stimulate your ability to sleep peacefully and free yourself from insomnia. And finally, we'll prepare you to experience a gentle night's sleep and affirm your ability to sleep easily and through the night in your new everyday life.
Sophrology is an effective practice with immediate benefits, which requires regular training, known as sophro-training, outside the sessions with the therapist, for deep, lasting effects.
Find out more about sophrology here.👇
Acupuncture and pharmacopoeia treatments for insomnia
Among the causes listed by Chinese medicine for insomnia are emotional imbalances, inadequate diet, intellectual overwork and weakness due to illness.
Chinese medicine takes the patient's psyche into account, and explains that the relationship between body and mind is mediated by Qi or vital energy. When there is an accumulation of emotions such as stress or anxiety, the Qi of the Heart is disturbed and disordered, preventing consciousness (Shen) from returning to its residence in the Heart and causing insomnia.
Chinese doctors pay particular attention to the energy of the Stomach to treat insomnia. After a heavy or rich meal, you feel much more restless when you sleep.
Another factor causing poor sleep quality is the lack of blood supply to the heart muscle, which is common in the elderly or convalescing.
By re-establishing harmony in energy circulation with acupuncture and good heart muscle irrigation with Chinese pharmacopoeia, sleep becomes deeper and more restorative.
Find out more about acupuncture here.👇
Insomnia, osteopathic support
Osteopathy can help provide a lasting and effective solution to sleep disorders by rebalancing the nervous system, in order to act on the tensions and blockages that may be the cause.
These disorders may be linked to a disturbance of the autonomic nervous system (problems with digestion, breathing, arterial or venous circulation, etc.).
In this case, the therapist performs a global treatment on the whole body, paying particular attention to areas linked to the nervous system (cranium and cranio-sacral axis).
Find out more about osteopathy here.👇
Troubled sleep or insomnia: how do I choose the right therapy for me?
- If your sleep problems are linked to stress or anxiety, then sophrology is ideal for restoring inner calm and establishing rituals conducive to restful nights.
- When insomnia is linked to an energetic or digestive imbalance : acupuncture and pharmacopoeia can help reharmonize the body and promote deep, regenerative sleep.
- If your body tension or pain prevents you from sleeping comfortably : osteopathy allows you to release the physical blockages that disturb your sleep.
A little extra: As a complement, monitor your lifestyle and nutrition, avoid stimulants in the evening and adopt a regular sleep routine. This will improve the long-term effectiveness of your treatments.
Feeling lost?
Don't hesitate to write to usor take advantage of a free assessment to help you find the best direction.