It is highly recommended for people who suffer from anxiety, insomnia or ADHD.
Getting to sleep is not always an easy task. On average, it takes about 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep. But with daily stress or overexposure to screens, this period lengthens considerably for many French people, transforming the evening into a fight against insomnia and anxiety. Faced with these difficulties in “unplugging the brain”, a renowned expert offers a solution that is surprisingly simple and accessible to all.
This practice is a powerful switch for your nervous system. It defuses stress: “the fundamental principle is to reduce the sensory load on the brain by immediately activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the natural pathway that initiates the descent towards rest and regeneration“, specifies Dr. Daniel Amen, psychiatrist and specialist in brain imaging. Also, it promotes mental anchoring: Dr. Amen compares this process to a way of deactivating the brain’s “threat radar.”
The trick is to take a shower and do your evening hygiene (removing makeup, cleansing your face, brushing your teeth, etc.) in the dark or, at least, with extremely dim light. This is what the Americans call “dark showering”. The instructions for use are disarmingly simple: simply turn off the main bathroom light or use a candle (safely) or a low-intensity night light (preferably amber or red light). To enjoy this moment for 15 to 20 minutes, focusing on the sensations of the flowing water, the scent of the soap or the touch of the towel. Once you get out of the shower, it is best to maintain a dim lighting environment until bedtime.
The reason is purely scientific: “light strongly influences the brain. Bright light and blue light trigger the body to wake up by increasing cortisol and decreasing melatonin. But when the lights go out, the absence of light begins the body’s natural transition into a resting mode“, explains the expert on Fox News Digital.
By integrating this simple gesture into your evening routine, you are giving your body the clear signal that it is time to disconnect. A minimalist habit for maximum nights.
