What are the secrets to a good night's sleep?

Updated on 2025-02-04

Summary: What are the secrets to a good night's sleep?

This sleep column, hosted by Frédéric Bisson with naturopath Lynn Goneau, discusses common causes of insomnia, including stress and physical pain, and suggests natural solutions for better sleep.

Lynn stresses the importance of preparing your body and mind by reducing screens, creating a dark, soothing atmosphere, and avoiding heavy meals before bedtime. She also mentions supplements such as melatonin, magnesium, GABA and relaxing herbal teas, as well as dietary habits that promote serotonin production.

Finally, she mentions "sleep divorce", an increasingly popular practice where couples sleep separately for better quality rest.

1. Common causes of insomnia

• Stress and anxiety, which keep the brain awake.
• Physical pain that makes sleep uncomfortable.
• Digestive problems that disrupt rest.

2. Good habits for better sleep

• Reduce exposure to screens and dim the lights before bedtime.
• Take a warm bath with Epsom salt to relax muscles.
• Read a book or listen to relaxing music in the dark.
• Maintain a low body temperature to help you fall asleep.

3. Sleep-enhancing food and supplements

• Avoid heavy meals before bedtime, and eat a light snack (nuts, banana, yogurt) instead.
• Eat beneficial carbohydrates and proteins: brown rice, legumes, turkey, eggs, fish.
• Useful supplements: magnesium, GABA, L-theanine, holy basil, melatonin (if necessary).
• Recommended product: Good night by A. Vogel with plants such as wild lettuce.

4. Other tips for a good night's sleep

• Sleep divorce": sleep separately to avoid waking up at night.
• Avoid alcohol, which helps you fall asleep but disrupts deep sleep.
• Work on stress management during the day to sleep better at night.

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

Radio host at 104.7 FM 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:

Today we're going to talk about a problem that affects a lot of people. Sometimes it happens to me on nights when we don't sleep. Lynn Goneau, good morning. Today you're going to tell us the secrets of a good night's sleep.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, I do. And Fred, I've suffered from insomnia ever since I was a little girl. Yes, I have. And so it really became a mission for me to be able to understand why people suffer from insomnia, and then find the tools to help. In fact, that's what I've been doing for several years now. And today, I could talk for a long time, because we agree that there are many causes and many solutions, but I've chosen two today.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

OK what is it?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Because lack of sleep can be linked. It's the little mouse that turns all the time in your, in your brain there that is due to stress or it can also be physical pain. It's true. You're spinning, spinning at night, and the misery has really found a comfortable position. Uh, then really has a lot to do. But I want to talk about the hormone serotonin, which is the hormone of happiness. When you're happy, you're fine, you get along. Yes, and melatonin, that's the sleep hormone.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

What do you think is the best way to prepare for sleep?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Very important, especially when we're talking about the stress factor, which of course we've often heard about, turning down the lights, turning off all electronic devices, at least one happy hour before falling asleep. It could be television or cell phones. Computers. You can take a hot bath with epsom salt, because we all agree that magnesium helps a lot with aches and pains. You can read a book. A book will help. People often tell me I can't do more than a paragraph. I fall asleep. There you go.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

So much the better.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes indeed, or even listening to music, which is very soothing, but it's all done in the dark because it's in the dark that we create the sleep hormone melatonin.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

Now we're ready to go to sleep. Yes, some people will say do I add melatonin or not?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

But this supplement is really a hormone supplement that's not for everyone. Some people will try it and then tell me it doesn't work, but that's because they didn't need it before. So at that point, you have to see if it's something else.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

I had digestion problems. I raised the headboard a little. And that was it. And that solved it, but that's what problems can often be.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Digestive problems or the fact that we always say before going to bed, it's important. Above all, it's important not to eat a very large meal. Because when you do that, your body needs a lot of energy to deal with it. So for a long period of time, it won't be able to rest. Or it could be that digesting a heavy meal raises your body temperature. Then we know that we need a much cooler temperature to be able to sleep well. If you eat a meal, make sure you take it at least three hours before going to sleep, that's ideal.
You don't like the feeling of an empty stomach. You can always have a small snack an hour and a half beforehand. It could be a small portion of nuts or pumpkin seeds. It can be a banana. It can be a small bowl of oatmeal or yogurt. It's something very light.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

And if we don't have enough sugar, we won't produce enough serotonin.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:
It's important. It's important to include good carbohydrates at dinner. It can be foods like turkey, chicken, fish, obviously that's protein, but it can also be dairy products in moderation of course, then eggs, brown rice, whole grains like buckwheat, barley, legumes. This will help a lot.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

Interesting concept. Just because we love each other and are a couple doesn't mean we always have to sleep in the same bed.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

No. And that's the divorce of sleep. It's really when you room apart to allow a good night's sleep, you can save in the middle of the night and you can come back early in the morning.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

And it seems that more and more couples are doing it too.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, it's popular.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Well, that's good. It's reassuring to know that.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:
We avoid alcohol too, because we know, we know it's an excitant. It'll help you fall asleep, but you won't stay asleep.

Frédéric Bisson - Radio host 104.7FM:

Herbal teas, of course.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

In leaves or capsules, holy basil, which I love because it works directly on stress. There's l-theanine, which is a pretty good idea because it stimulates the happiness hormone. You can also work with GABA, which I really like because it works on the nervous system, and then everything is prepared for the day. We agree that it's during the day that we work on stress so that we can sleep at night. Magnesium is always a must before going to bed. It's really everyone.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

What other supplement do you recommend this week?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

This is a product of the A. Vogel company. It's a company I really like because it has over 100 years of experience, and it has basic quality natural supplements with plants of Swiss origin. Then they have a product called Bonne nuit. Ah yes, yes, and it lives up to its name. Then they've added a plant that's not very well known, but it's called wild lettuce. It's sativa. And of course, for those who've tried it all, it's really worth a try. It's just little individual sachets. The right quantity to mix and drink before going to sleep.