Stress and sleep: discovering the California poppy

Updated on 2026-03-10

Summary: Stress and sleep: discovering the California poppy

Sleep deprivation has become a major health issue, often aggravated by stress, screen overload and constant stimulation that keep the nervous system on high alert. Yet sleep is essential: it enables the body and brain to repair themselves, consolidate memory and support immunity.

To improve sleep quality, Lynn Goneau recommends four basic steps: respecting a regular rising time to stabilize the biological clock and promote melatonin production, reducing stress at the end of the day (for example, with a walk after dinner), preventing night-time awakenings by avoiding meals too rich in carbohydrates or alcohol in the evening, and limiting the use of screens at least one hour before bedtime, possibly with blue-light-blocking glasses.

Certain plants and supplements can also help calm the nervous system, such as magnesium, ashwagandha, chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower. She also highlights the benefits of California poppy a plant that helps to calm thoughts when the mind is too active and promotes more restful sleep.

1. Sleep deprivation: a common health problem

Stress, screen overload and constant stimulation are increasingly disrupting sleep. Yet sleep is essential: during the night, the body regenerates, the brain "cleans", and emotions and memories from the day are processed. A lack of sleep can lead to irritability, poor concentration, a weakened immune system and, in the long term, increased risk of anxiety, exhaustion and metabolic disorders.

2. Respect your biological clock

Getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends, helps stabilize the internal clock. This regularity allows the body to better synchronize the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, facilitating a more natural falling asleep and a more restful sleep cycle.

3. Reduce stress and promote good evening habits

Reducing stress at the end of the day is essential. Simple activities such as an after-dinner walk can help to relax, aid digestion and signal the brain that night is approaching thanks to reduced natural light. It's also advisable to avoid carbohydrate-rich meals or alcohol in the evening, which can cause night-time awakenings linked to fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

4. Limit screens and use natural aids

Screens should be avoided for at least an hour before bedtime, as blue light disrupts melatonin production. Some people use blue-light-filtering glasses. Herbs and supplements can also support sleep, including magnesium, ashwagandha, chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower and California poppy a plant renowned for calming an overactive mind and promoting deeper sleep.

About the author

Lynn Goneau, Certified Naturopath

Specialized in :

• Digestive health
• Hormonal health
• Stress and fatigue
• Memory and concentration
• Weight management

Frédéric Bisson, radio host at 104.7 FM

Host of the 104.7 FM radio station on the Cogeco network. Frédéric Bisson has hosted L'Outaouais Maintenant from 3 to 5 p.m. every weekday since February 27, 2023.

Transcription

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

How's your first Monday after that other time change going? You know that sleep is intimately linked, perhaps sometimes too intimately, to stress, to high stress levels. It disrupts the sleep-wake cycle. So today, with Lynn Goneau naturopath at La Boite à Grains we're going to talk about stress and sleep, and she's going to introduce us to poppies. Yes, poppies, but maybe not the kind used to make heroin, but California poppies. Hi Lynn.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, we have to be clear. Frédéric, sleep deprivation has really become a global health issue. It's amazing the extent to which, with screen overload and constant stimulation, our systems are always in alert mode, with the result that sleep is disrupted. It affects memory, mood, even immunity, energy - in short, the whole system, our entire well-being.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

And sleep isn't about saying I have the luxury of sleeping 7 to 8 hours. No, it's part of life. Biological sleep.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, because you have to understand that during sleep, the body repairs and regenerates everything it has worked on during the day. It cleanses itself, both physically and mentally. There's a cleansing going on in our brain.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

But our dreams are there to assimilate the emotions of the day.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes. And when you're sleep-deprived, the consequences are really numerous. You become more irritable. Concentration, of course, is further impaired, as is memory. Memory is affected, the immune system is weakened. Then, in the long term, it increases the risk of metabolic disorders, anxiety and exhaustion.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Four basic practices to improve your sleep.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

The first is to respect your biological clock. We all have an internal biological clock. It counts down. It starts counting down as soon as you wake up in the morning, getting up at the same time every morning. That's crucial. Even on weekends, it helps your body calculate the right moment to produce your famous sleep hormone melatonin. The more stable your rhythm, the more natural it becomes to fall asleep. Because every evening and every morning, when you get up in the evening, your sleep is going to be, it's going to be calculated accordingly. In other words, you're going to fall asleep on the basis of this hormone, which is secreted because it's counted down from the morning, so it's really a capital asset. You have to reduce stress. We talk all the time about reducing stress at the end of the day, because it's not, it's not that you're going to go to bed, and it's not like a switch, no, no.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

The bedroom should be the place to go when you're ready to sleep.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes indeed. And me personally, because we often say to think about meditation, but I don't have the possibility or I don't have the aptitude to be able to meditate. I'm going for a walk after supper. This is really, really ideal, because there are two important things that happen: the brain picks up the dark, because often after dinner, it's dawn or it starts to get dark. This is what starts the production of your famous melatonin. Yes, it helps with digestion, because we know that an overfull stomach or difficult digestion can really prevent you from getting a good night's sleep.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

But it's true. Lots of people go for walks in the evening. So that's the second trick, to reduce stress at the end of the day. And the third?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Prevent waking up at night. When you wake up at night at 2 or 3 in the morning, your blood sugar may be unstable. And the reason it goes down like that is that, when you have dinner, you're often ingesting carbohydrates, and then it goes up, up, up, up, up. You go to bed after that, and it goes down when you crave sugar, because you're more controlled than ideal. Before going to bed, avoid eating meals that are too high in glycemic carbohydrates. So potatoes, etc. Anything that will ultimately increase your energy and don't drink alcohol. Because of course, if you eat a dessert in the evening or drink alcohol, you're often choosing to sleep less well.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Well, alcohol, mostly, that's true. What's your fourth sleep aid?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

We always talk about avoiding screens for at least an hour before going to bed. Cell phones, tablets, computers, I've found a trick because it's not always easy to avoid watching TV. I personally bought orange glasses that block blue light. And this works really well.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Are there herbs or supplements to help us sleep better?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, absolutely. When the nervous system is still overtaxed, but certain plants and supplements can help, to help you slow down. And really calm you down, like magnesium. That's a must. And it helps to relax the muscles, calm the nervous system, then really improve the quality of your sleep, especially for people who are really tense. Ashwagandha, we've heard of it too, really helps to relax. You can learn to use it during the day too, not necessarily just in the evening before going to sleep.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

You brought me chamomile and lavender tea.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, I like that one a lot. I learn it right after supper. It's another of my good tricks. There's lemon balm, passionflower, those are simple and effective basics. Then there's one that's really interesting. I've never heard of it before. It's called California poppy. It's used when the mind is too active. When your little mouse is running around all the time, it's not a sleeping pill. It's a thought-calming plant that helps her fall asleep more easily and makes sleep more restful.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

So tell me about California poppies.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, this is from A.Vogel, a company with over 100 years' experience, and California poppies are certified organic, grown in Switzerland, and as I explained, they help the nervous system to find a lower level of tension. After a hard day, it helps to relax the muscles and the mind.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

How about a private consultation?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, some Fred, especially if you want to talk about sleep, which is super important. I've got a lot of stuff. And I've learned a lot about sleep so that I can sleep better myself. So if you want to know more, it's easy to consult me. The La Boite à Grains contains all my information. Then my office is at the La Boite à Grains on Gréber.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Thank you very much and have a good week.