Sleep disturbances during a coronavirus crisis: what to do?

Some advice on how to manage and prevent sleep disturbances in the face of the coronavirus.

The global pandemic caused by the spread of the coronavirus is giving rise, in many households, to the appearance of psychological problems to which a large part of the population does not know how to react. Sleep disturbances are one of those forms of discomfort that are common during the pandemic which, fortunately, can be managed if a series of measures are taken.

Therefore, throughout this article we will see what are the characteristics of the problems when it comes to sleeping well during the COVID-19 crisis, and what we can do about them to return to a physically and mentally healthy life, in which neither quality nor quantity of rest is lacking.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect sleep quality?

This is a summary of common problems that arise in the context of the global pandemic and weeks of home confinement due to coronavirus.

An abrupt change of habits

The simple fact of embracing new living habits suddenly can cause our sleep schedule to be totally disrupted.. For example, parents who have to take care of their children all day long may miss some free time for themselves, and in some cases can only afford to have it after 11 p.m., the time when they would normally go to sleep.

2. Anxiety

The coronavirus crisis is an anxiety bomb for many people, both because of its implications in terms of health risk and its impact on the economy, not to mention the fact that it has led to the suspension of a number of basic freedoms to prevent the wave of contagions.

And we must not forget that anxiety is, in short, an over-activation of the nervous systemwhich becomes very sensitive to any stimulus in the environment that may be associated with threats and risks, as well as a greater predisposition to focus attention on recurrent and obsessive thoughts. All this makes it more difficult to fall asleep and enjoy a quality rest.

3. Anomalous exposure to light

Exposure to sunlight is more important than it seems. Not only does it help us to process vitamin D, but it also allows our "biological clock" to adjust to the phase of the day we are in thanks to the release of a substance that our body secretes and that depends on the light that reaches us: melatonin.

This is why in some cases it is a problem that we have to stay much longer than normal at home: this means that, in some homes, we will have to rely on the melatonin.In some households, we will have less help from the sun in regulating our state of arousal. As many people will be exposed much more to artificial light than to sunlight, and sunlight can be present regardless of the time of day, the body will lose references on which to rely to know when to start expending energy, and it is more likely that at 12 o'clock at night it will still be very active.

4. Sleep disturbances due to substance use

These have been very hard weeks for those who already had a predisposition to the consumption of addictive substances, given that several factors associated with the abuse of substances such as alcohol or cannabis come together: relative social isolation, sedentary habits, altered lifestyle habits and exposure to sources of stress. (news about the pandemic and its implications for health and the economy).

In addition, many people are losing their jobs, as we have seen, and these kinds of vulnerable situations open the door for some people to develop very harmful coping strategies, such as the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the face of the psychological discomfort felt. The entry of these chemicals into the nervous system is capable of greatly modifying sleep schedules, and also makes sleep worse, which further degrades the physical and mental state of those who suffer from these problems.

Tips for getting a good night's sleep in the face of the COVID-19 crisis

Here are some basic tips to combat the sleep disturbances caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

1. Exercise moderately

It is important that even if you cannot leave the house, you should exercise as much as your physical capacity allows. You don't even need to leave your room: you can do aerobics, burpees, exercise bikes, etc. The important thing is that this exercise does not consist of performing a few movements with a lot of force, but rather that it rather that it corresponds to an aerobic type of exercise..

2. Take advantage of natural light

As we have seen, natural light is very important to make our body adapt to the phase of the day in which we are. Therefore, stay close to the sunniest windows and terraces, and try not to expose yourself too much to intense artificial light as bedtime approaches..

3. Keep a very specific schedule

It is not enough to have in mind that at such and such an hour you have to be doing such and such an activity: create a clear schedule with all the necessary details, and hang it in a visible place. This will help you resist the urge to postpone your responsibilities and it will be easier to keep your day to day organized.

4. Eat well and avoid addictive substances

If you are in poor health, the quality of your sleep will worsen.If your health is poor, the quality of your sleep will worsen, and it will be easier for you to fall into disorganized sleep patterns, exposing you to fatigue and feeling sleepy at times when it shouldn't be there.

Therefore, make sure you are getting all the vitamins and macronutrients you need, and stay away from substances with addictive potential, since after all the main characteristic of these is that they interact with your brain making it work in an abnormal way.

5. Seek professional help

It should not be forgotten that psychologists continue to work even during the weeks of confinement, since many of us offer online assistance services via video call. In some cases, this will be a necessary step both to be able to recover a good quality of sleep and to be able to manage the rest of the psychological and coexistence problems that may arise in times of confinement. that may arise in times of the coronavirus crisis.

If you are interested in having my help, or reading about the services I offer, access this page, where you will find information about me and my contact details.

Bibliographic references:

• Dew, M. A. et al. (2003). Healthy older adults' sleep predicts all-cause mortality at 4 to 19 years of follow-up. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65: pp. 63 - 73.
• Reyes, B.M.; Velázquez-Panigua, M. and Prieto-Gómez, B. (2009). Melatonin and neuropathologies. Rev.Fac.Med. UNAM, 52(3). Center for Genomic Sciences. Faculty of Medicine, UNAM.
• Subirana, S. R., & Adell, M. À. M. (2014). Treatment of nocturnal agitation and insomnia in the elderly. FMC-Formación Médica Continuada en Atención Primaria, 21(2): pp. 104 - 112.