Sleep is a basic human need as is breathing, eating and drinking. Many studies have highlighted the close links between the hours and quality of sleep we get and health problems that may develop as a result of lack of it such as high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes. So getting good sleep is crucial to ensuring good health and quality of life at the same time.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) during the past months, which has greatly corrupted every aspect of people’s lives. It has affected in one way or another the working time, family time, play time and also our mood. And maybe our level of stress and our tolerance as human beings.
Home stay and physical distancing have also resulted in your symptoms of depression and completely disrupted your sleep cycle, destroying what would have been the most of the eight hours you could expect to be the quietest of your day.
However, it is important to mention that people who previously had insomnia, sleep disturbances and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, will be most likely to be affected by the coronavirus related sleep disturbance.
Of course, insomnia disorder is usually characterised by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite having adequate chance of sleeping. Not to mention that insufficient sleep adversely affects hormone levels, brain function and exercise performance, in addition it contributes to obesity and the risk of development of other diseases.
For instance, lack of sleep may weaken the body’s ability to fight disease. When we do not get enough sleep, our bodies produce fewer cytokines — a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, creating a vital immune response to effectively fight any virus.
The two main factors responsible for sleep deterioration are changes in stress levels and changes in sleep behaviours associated with this pandemic. This is a reality that everyone has noticed and how the coronavirus has created a set of new challenges even for people who previously did not have sleep problems. In other words, people are concerned not only about the virus and the disease itself, but because there are health issues that a person suffers from already, which has not been treated optimally, as well as financial problems and other psychological and personal stress.
The different sleep and wake times can also have a detrimental effect on sleep itself. I might exaggerate if I said that (routine is important), the worst thing you can do is to change the time of going to bed and waking up longer and spoiling your body clock. Consequently, your sleep will not be good and you will face more sleep problems. It is first for anyone to aim for a fairly consistent waking time and not spend more time in bed than you need to sleep!
On the other hand, many people complain and report strange dreams and the truth of this, is a direct result of increased anxiety, when people are more anxious and have this excessive alertness during a 24-hour period, here your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, and this may keep your body awake and activate your mind leading unfortunately to interrupted sleep and insomnia.
In addition, during this pandemic, most people were restricted to work at home, as they do not have a specific time to wake up every day or eat meals. Thus remarkably disrupted the body’s natural sleep and wake cycle or the body’s circadian rhythm, especially as some spent less time outside his house in the sunshine every day. Regretfully, this resulted in a lot of us staying in front of the screen longer than ever before, whether by watching TV or other tablets, which in one way or another lead to the emission of blue light from these devices, ending with disrupting the body’s production of melatonin at night, a hormone that helps in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
Fortunately, insomnia will be a temporary condition for most people, as we are in this pandemic. It is important for individuals to focus on maintaining good sleep habits, a regular sleep and wake schedule and avoiding naps and prolonged time in bed.
Of course, you should avoid coffee and related stimulants, for instance, six hours before bed and continue to exercise regularly and be exposed to daylight every day, especially in the early morning. Additionally, during this period, individuals are likely to spend more time on the Internet or using electronic devices. To prevent such behaviour from interfering with sleep, they should use a low blue light filter during the evening and try to stop using the device at least an hour before bed. Most importantly, if you are awake in the middle of the night and have a hard time getting back to sleep, take a break from trying to sleep, focus on relaxing and do something relaxing like reading or listening to content you enjoy.
At the end, in these times of stress, it is extremely important to engage in strategies that can help manage stress such as regular exercise, healthy meals and relaxation. We do not want people to lie in bed afraid of not being able to sleep, instead everyone should focus on trying to maintain a regular sleep pattern and adhere to good sleep practices, in order to avoid the development of chronic insomnia disorder, or related sleep disorders that require specialist intervention in such cases.
Dr Yousuf Ali al Mulla, MD, Ministry of Health, is a medical innovator and educator. For any queries regarding the content of the column he can be contacted at: dryusufalmulla@gmail.com
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