Are You Having Sleeping Problems During Pandemic? Follow These 4 Solutions

The coronavirus crisis has shaken the whole world. The lockdown situation arose after the World Health Organization declared it an epidemic and the disease caused a sense of sadness and fear among the people. The level of anxiety has increased so much that people are unable to cope with stress and having sleeping problems.

Sleeping problems have increased among people during this crisis. Many people are falling prey to a sleep disorder called Insomnia. Dr. Omar Afroz of AIIMS, says that sleep disorder is a condition in which a person’s ability to sleep properly is affected. This condition is either due to a health problem or excessive stress. Some common symptoms of this include feeling as if sleep is not complete, irritability or early anger, difficulty concentrating, excessive sleepiness during the day, feeling tired, lack of energy in the body, etc.

Sleeping Problems

Sleeping problems (sleep apnea) stops breathing periodically during the night when it comes to sleep disorders, which causes sleep disturbances. Restless legs syndrome causes a strange sensation in the legs and is forced to move the feet repeatedly without wanting to. Do not sleep in such a situation. Good sleeping habits can help prevent insomnia-like conditions and sleep soundly.

You have had a long, rough day and you stumble off to bed, tired. But as you shut your eyes, sleep isn’t anywhere on the brink of you. After what seems like ages, finally, you drift off to sleep, but you wake up in the middle of the night and toss and turn in your bed. The next day, you feel groggy, tired, and agitated. You can’t focus on anything and keep yawning in meetings. Does it sound familiar? Well, trust me you are not alone in this. According to Princess Cruises’ ninth Relaxation report, 51% of the adults get lesser sleep than required and as high as 18% of the people worldwide suffer from insomnia.

What happens if you deny proper sleep to your body? Here are some health consequences of sleep deprivation: 

Short term

  • Lack of energy and irritability
  • Lack of concentration
  • Headache
  • Increased chances of vehicular accidents
  • Increased chances of accidents at the workplace 

Long term

  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Cardiovascular related problems

Doing these simple rituals before hitting the sack can assist you to have a healthy, abundant, and refreshing sleep. The very fact that these aren’t just any random things told by people, but are backed by science and proven by studies, makes them worth giving a whirl!

Take a shower 90 min before getting to bed

Science: Sleep is regulated by a clock situated inside our body called the ‘circadian clock’, which in turn is regulated by body temperature. Our body temperature rises in the late noon and evening and drops before sleep. So, when you take a warm shower, heat flows from the core to the surface. The surface rejects heat to the environment and as a result, the body temperature drops, which gives the body, signal to sleep.

sleeping problems solutions

Bonus tip: If you are confused about what a ‘warm shower’ means, the precise temperature recommended is 104-106º F.

Dim the Lights One Hour Before Bedtime

Science: Another important factor that regulates sleeping problems is a hormone called ‘melatonin’. This is often referred to as the ‘sleep hormone’ or ‘darkness hormone because it sends a signal to the brain that it’s time for rest. Bright light exposure is known to suppress melatonin secretion, thereby causing trouble to fall asleep. So, think about using dim or red lights within the bedroom.

dim lights in bedroom

Bonus tip: Also consider having a separate workplace (or work as distant from the bed as possible). Studies show that our brain associates itself with the workplace and refuses to turn off to sleep in the same place.

Read a physical book

Science: We aren’t oblivious to the very fact that reading helps immensely in destressing. A study conducted by Cognitive Neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis showed that reading reduced stress levels far more effectively (65%) than listening to music, drinking tea or coffee, or taking a walk. Also, as reading tires your eye muscles it’s natural that they’d want to rest and hence you would possibly nod off while bedtime reading!

bedtime reading

Bonus tip: Pick up a light, ‘feel-good’ read instead of a murder mystery or thriller. I might suggest any story or novella by Ruskin Bond.

Try Guided Sleep Meditation

Science: Mindfulness meditations not only teach us to be non-judgemental and accepting about our thoughts, but they also help us to drift to the present moment. Isn’t it nice to shut the door to a stressful long day, bring our brain to this moment, and doze off?

guided sleep meditation

Bonus tip: There are many meditation apps available in the market like ‘INSIGHT TIMER’. It has thousands of free guided meditations and the bonus is that they are categorized- you need to drift off to sleep faster or you need to sleep deeper or you want to hear some positive affirmations at the end of a tough day everything is within the store. Also, don’t forget to check out meditation podcasts on Spotify.

During this tough time in the COVID-19 pandemic if you are worried about your sleep, try these simple sleeping problems solutions and you will feel fresh and energetic the next morning,