Are you having trouble sleeping?
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a major dent in our sleep habits. With increasing vaccinations and decreasing infections, we’re all beginning to feel like the pandemic is waning — Except our nervous systems aren’t so sure.
Last summer, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine conducted a survey and found that 20% of Americans complained of sleep problems. Ten months later, in March 2021, close to 60% of people said their sleep was troubled.
In my practice, a large proportion of my patients are complaining of problems falling asleep, staying asleep, getting enough rest and feeling tired in the morning. No wonder — living and working from home, often in our bedrooms, confuses our brains. Isn’t the bedroom supposed to be for sleep, not for work, answering emails or telephone conferences?
During the pandemic, there has been increased alcohol use, which also interferes with sleep quality. Sure, it helps folks fall asleep, but then causes dehydration which wakes them up in the middle of the night. The COVID-19 weight gain hasn’t helped either, since increased weight can contribute to sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea.
A recent survey in May by the American Psychiatric Association found that 41% of adults felt that they had more anxiety today than they did in the beginning of the pandemic. Over half of parents are worried about how the pandemic impacted their children. Stress and anxiety are major disrupters of sleep.
All in all, the COVID pandemic has been the perfect storm for crummy sleep, except for a subgroup of adults. Dr. Sridar Chalaka, sleep specialist at The Everett Clinic, wryly noted that “there is one group of patients who have actually slept better during the pandemic, as they’ve had more time in their daily life to get adequate amount of sleep. The elimination of commutes and stress of going to work has allowed them to spend more time in bed getting sufficient sleep.”
So if we’re not one of those lucky ones, how can we get our sleep back on track?
Consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Hillary Russell, facility medical director of The Everett Clinic’s behavioral health service, said that “CBT-I addresses sleep environment, behaviors and perspectives. The more we think negatively about our sleep and our environment, the more likely we are to develop worsening sleep problems. We’ve continued to offer CBT-I to patients in our Behavioral Health Department and with the increased demand, we will be offering CBT-I group therapy beginning in July.”
Don’t work on your bed. Working from your bed can train your brain to associate your bed with the stresses and strains of work, which is not conducive to falling asleep. It’s even better if you can work from a different room entirely.
Avoid screens at least an hour before going to sleep. The blue light from screens tells your brain that it’s time to be awake. Don’t watch videos lying down on your bed before you go to sleep. It’s too stimulating. Getting ready for bed should be a time to wind down you day, not wind up with an action thriller.
Practice good sleep hygiene. Stop drinking caffeine by early afternoon. Go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time. Avoid alcohol several hours before going to bed. Keep your bedroom relatively cool. If you do wake up in the middle of night, don’t toss and turn in bed. If you don’t fall asleep after 25 minutes, get out of bed, go into a different room, read a boring magazine and get back into bed when you’re really sleepy. Otherwise, you will associate being in bed with being awake.
Exercise. During the pandemic, many adults reduced their exercise. Gyms closed and we stayed at home. Like your car that’s designed to be driven, your body is made to move. It will work best when regular exercise of any kind is integrated into your daily life.
The pandemic has done a number on our nervous systems. It will take time for us to recover, be restored and to heal.
Paul Schoenfeld is a clinical psychologist at The Everett Clinic. His Family Talk blog can be found at www.everettclinic.com/health-wellness-library.html.
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