Insomnia affects almost one person in five on a regular basis, and the vast majority of people will face it at some point1. It is not just a sleep problem: it affects memory, mood, metabolism and immune defences.
To help your patients, sleeping pills alone are not enough. What is needed is a comprehensive approach that takes into account lifestyle, stress, sleep hygiene and appropriate nutritional support.
This article, inspired by Dr Vincent Attalin’s webinar, explains the common causes of insomnia and how to put in place lasting, scientifically validated solutions.
Why a new insomnia treatment is needed
In practice, most patients with insomnia have already tried several solutions: sleeping pills, herbal teas, self-medication. These methods sometimes bring temporary relief, but the insomnia often returns once they stop, with the added risk of side effects and dependency.
Today, the priority is no longer to force sleep, but to understand why it will not come and how to restore a natural rhythm.
The new treatments for insomnia follow this logic: they combine practical advice, relaxation techniques and, where needed, well-chosen natural supplements such as melatonin2, magnesium or certain plants. The objective is clear: to restore quality sleep, without dependency and without adverse effects.
The role of sleep, and why a lack of it throws everything off balance
As Dr Vincent Attalin points out, sleep is not simply a period of rest. Every night, it plays a key role in overall balance: memory, metabolism, immune system, mood. Here is a summary of its main functions:
Key function Disrupted mechanism Observed clinical consequences MetabolismDecreased leptin, increased ghrelin Increased appetite, sugar and fat cravings, weight gain, insulin resistanceTissue regenerationReduced growth hormone Persistent muscle fatigue, slow recovery, delayed wound healingImmune systemReduced prolactin and melatonin Recurrent ENT infections, increased vulnerability to viruses, weakened natural defencesCognitive functionDisrupted REM sleep Memory problems, reduced concentration, decreased alertnessEmotional balanceNeurotransmitter dysregulation Irritability, increased anxiety, worsened risk of depression
Chronic sleep deprivation quickly disrupts these mechanisms and increases the risk of persistent fatigue and metabolic, cardiovascular and psychological disorders.
How to effectively assess your patients’ sleep
Before any treatment is planned, a structured assessment helps distinguish simple insomnia from a more complex disorder (hypersomnia, sleep apnoea, masked depression, and so on).
Start with a sleep diary: it helps identify bedtimes, night-time awakenings, actual sleep duration and variability in rhythm.
Supplement this with a sleepiness scale, which assesses daytime fatigue and helps guide the differential diagnosis.
Finally, a targeted history (exploring lifestyle habits, stress, stimulant use and medical history) together with a search for comorbidities (anxiety, endocrine disorders, apnoea) ensures a comprehensive, clinical view of the problem.
Most of the time, the causes of insomnia are multiple and combine with one another. Here are the most common ones:
Factor Concrete examplesLifestyle Irregular hours, screens before bed, heavy or late meals, coffee or alcohol consumptionStress and emotions Rumination, anxiety, fear of “not sleeping”Environment Room too hot, too bright or too noisyMedical causes Depression, anxiety disorders, menopause, sleep apnoeaMedications Corticosteroids, antidepressants, beta-blockers
New treatments for insomnia: a comprehensive approach
Sleeping pills provide short-term relief, but do not treat the cause of insomnia. Modern approaches rely on combining several levers to restore natural, lasting sleep.
Regularity remains central: going to bed and getting up at fixed times, even at weekends. Stress management is just as essential, with simple tools such as breathing exercises, meditation or cardiac coherence.
Diet also plays a key role: a light evening meal, limiting stimulants and alcohol, and favouring foods rich in tryptophan (nuts and oilseeds, dairy products, bananas).
Finally, certain supplements can support care, in particular the melatonin to resynchronise the sleep-wake rhythm, the magnesium to calm the nervous system, and adaptogenic plants such as ashwagandha3 and saffron4 to reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
Essential supplements for insomnia
Supplement Role Practical note / advice MelatoninMaintains the sleep-wake rhythm (biological clock). Eases falling asleep and improves sleep quality (fewer night-time awakenings). Sublingual spray appears to offer better bioavailability.Griffonia (rich in 5-HTP)Improves sleep quality by supporting serotonin synthesis. Eases falling asleep and reduces night-time awakenings. Choose an extract concentrated in 5-HTP (at least 30%).
Providing lasting support for sleep: from symptom to clinical strategy
Insomnia is not corrected with sleeping pills, but through a detailed understanding of its causes and a comprehensive support strategy.
Each patient has their own profile: chronic stress, magnesium deficiency, disrupted circadian rhythm, menopause, mental load, and so on. Your role, as a practitioner, is to identify what is sustaining the insomnia and address these factors one by one.
Sustainable care rests on five pillars:
Stable sleep hygiene, with regular hours and a calming environment.
Active stress management, through cardiac coherence, meditation or relaxation.
A suitable diet, light in the evening and rich in serotonin precursors.
Targeted micronutritional support, combining melatonin, magnesium and adaptogenic plants according to the patient’s profile.
Personalised follow-up, to progressively adjust recommendations and prevent relapse.
This comprehensive approach restores sleep’s natural physiological function, without dependency or adverse effects.
This fully reflects Simplycure’s commitment to making it easier to implement simple, safe and individualised protocols, in the service of a shared goal: helping your patients regain restorative, lasting sleep, free from symptomatic treatments.
To turn these recommendations into simple, concrete and personalised protocols: contact us here!
