SCREENS, SUGAR, SLEEP DEPRIVATION: HOW CAN WE SAVE OUR BRAINS ? | M6 | Zone Interdite

Screens, Sugar, Sleep Deprivation: How Can We Save Our Brains?

What if, for the first time in history, our intellectual abilities were declining?
Too much sugar, too much screen time, sleepless nights… millions of us have adopted these harmful habits. Yet few of us realize the impact they may be having on our brains.

For a year, we investigated how our lifestyles affect memory, concentration and overall health.
By following French men and women determined to regain control of their minds — and with the help of leading specialists — we reveal that surprisingly simple solutions may exist to reverse the trend.

It is the disease of the century: screen addiction.
Near Montpellier, Léa, a 17-year-old high school student, spends up to 13 hours a day on social media. Just weeks before her final exams, she is increasingly worried about her inability to concentrate while studying.
With the help of a neuropsychologist and a strange machine, she discovers the existence of alpha waves. Constantly triggered while she scrolls, these brain waves slow down cerebral activity.
Could they have something to do with the academic performance of French students, which has just fallen below the average of developed countries for the very first time?

In fifty years, we have lost an average of one hour and thirty minutes of sleep per night — unprecedented in human history.
Near Paris, Ivan, a civil servant, sleeps so poorly that he is constantly exhausted, struggling to perform even the simplest daily tasks. His entire family has had to adapt to his permanent lethargy.
Convinced that much of his fatigue is caused by his two energetic young sons, Ivan eventually discovers that he suffers from a condition affecting nearly 10% of the French population — one that disrupts his sleep every single night.

It happens to all of us: forgetting words, misplacing valuable objects.
Near Angers, Magali experiences this constantly.
This mother of two juggles family obligations and remote work every day. Overwhelmed by her mental load, she writes endless lists to avoid forgetting anything.
Fortunately, she has her sugary treats, which she snacks on all day to keep herself going.
But could all that sugar be linked to the tricks her memory is playing on her?
The answer may surprise her.

In an attempt to boost our cognitive abilities, more and more people are turning to food supplements.
Omega-3s, vitamins, herbal formulas — these pills, supposed to help us function better every day, have flooded pharmacy shelves and now generate a market worth more than three billion euros annually.

But how effective are these supplements really?

We investigated.