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Unspoken truth -

Of all the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the least talked about is disrupted sleep. In competition with death rates and economic crises, it simply doesn’t get much attention.

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Proven phenomenon -

And yet studies show that insomnia caused by COVID-19–dubbed “coronasomnia” or “COVID-somnia” by some experts–is affecting people all over the world.

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Statistics -

One study conducted by the University of Southampton showed that during the UK's first lockdown the number of people suffering with insomnia rose from one in six to one in four.

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Statistics -

In China, insomnia rates went from 14.6% to 20% during the peak lockdown period, while in Greece 40% of respondents to a May 2020 study were shown to be insomniac.

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No surprises -

Lack of sleep can have serious consequences for both our health and productivity, but it is unfortunately an inevitable consequence of the pandemic.

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What exactly is happening? -

“But how does COVID-19 deprive people of sleep?” we hear you ask. The main reason for sleeplessness during the pandemic has been the disruption of our body clocks.

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Disruption of routine -

Prior to the pandemic, many of us had a daily routine that revolved around commutes to the office, lunch breaks, and exercise classes at the gym.

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Disruption of routine -

With the outbreak of the pandemic, those routines went out window and our circadian rhythms were disrupted. This made it more difficult to get proper sleep.

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Working from home -

It is also a consequence of remote working that people are working longer hours. With no distinction between the office as a place of work and home as a place of rest, it is more difficult to switch off.

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Working from home -

People are increasingly taking the stresses of the working day to bed with them, which in turns makes it more and more difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

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Working from home -

For some people, working from home may also mean less exercise and less sunlight, both of which are important if we want to achieve better sleep.

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Lockdown life -

Then there’s the fact that many of the common outlets for relaxation and de-stressing, such as doing hobbies and spending time with friends, are currently unavailable to us.

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Insomnia and mental health -

Increasing numbers of people are struggling with loneliness and mental health issues, which can be both a cause and a symptom of disrupted sleep patterns.

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Healthcare workers -

While sleep problems can affect people from all walks of life, studies suggest that healthcare workers in particular are struggling with increased levels of insomnia.

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Healthcare workers -

In December 2020, the University of Ottawa analyzed 55 global studies of 190,000 healthcare workers to see how rates of insomnia, depression, anxiety, and PTSD had developed over the previous 12 months.

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Healthcare workers -

The number of healthcare workers struggling with each of the disorders had risen by at least 15%, and the number struggling with insomnia had risen by 24%.

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The importance of treatment -

Insomnia as a disorder is particularly worrying because, according to clinical health professor Angela Drake, if it goes untreated it can become chronic and long-lasting.

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The importance of treatment -

Unfortunately, many cases of insomnia will have gone and will continue to go untreated during the pandemic, either because people are reluctant to seek treatment or because facilities are overwhelmed.

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Seek help -

And yet there are things you can do if you are struggling with your sleep. The first thing that experts recommend is to seek help.

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Seek help -

One good thing to come out of the pandemic has been the rapid advancement of telehealth, and it is now possible to receive cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) online.

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Seek help -

CBT-I trains your brain to associate your bed with sleep through behavioral changes. One study from 2020 showed that receiving CBT-I online can be just as effective as in-person treatment.

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Other options -

If for whatever reason virtual CBT-I is not an option, or even if it is and you just want to increase your chances of success, there are simple changes you can make that will likely help you sleep better.

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Other options -

Professor Drake has a number of recommendations for simple behavior changes that can help you on your way to a good night’s sleep.

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Leave the laptop on the desk -

First of all, stop working from bed. No matter how tempting it may be, a laptop in the bed will only cause the brain to associate the bed with work, thus making it impossible to switch off when your head hits the pillow.

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Avoid the news before bed -

It is also a good idea not to read the news before trying to fall asleep. In these uncertain times it is likely that the news will only make you feel stressed, and that is not conducive to falling asleep.

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Alternative alarm -

You should also try, if possible, not to use your phone as an alarm clock, since the phone is another object that we associate with work.

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Alternative alarm -

And if you do have an alarm clock you can use instead of a phone, try to turn it away from your bed before you try to sleep, since looking at a ticking clock can cause anxiety.

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Hold tight -

Finally, be kind to yourself and don’t forget that these are extraordinary times we’re living in. Insomnia is another challenge many of us are having to face and you are not alone.

Sources: (BBC)

See also: Sleepless beauties: Stars who struggle with insomnia

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