Mental Health and Sleep | The novel coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) has ushered the world into uncharted waters.
Countries have established various levels of lockdowns, economies have ground to a halt, and many people are afraid for themselves and their loved ones.
With such unprecedented changes coming so quickly, it’s understandable that the importance of sleep is flying under the radar. But as we adjust to stay-at-home orders and try to remain healthy in a time of COVID-19, focusing on sleeping well offers tremendous benefits.
Sleep is critical to physical health and effective functioning of the immune system. It’s also a key promoter of emotional wellness and mental health, helping to beat back stress, depression, and anxiety.
Whether you’ve had sleeping problems before COVID-19 or if they’ve only come on recently, there are concrete steps that you can take to improve your sleep during this global pandemic.
What Are the Challenges to Sleep During a Pandemic?
Millions of people suffered from insomnia before the coronavirus, and unfortunately, the pandemic creates a host of new challenges — even for people who previously had no sleeping problems.
“Coronasomnia” is a new term that refers to sleep problems related to the pandemic. With increased stress and anxiety, there is a definite impact on our sleep and mental health, and the best way to combat it is to stick to good sleep hygiene practices.
The coronavirus pandemic doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. Of course, patients with the virus and front-line medical workers face the brunt of the direct impacts of the disease. But the consequences — economically, mentally, and emotionally — have spread far and wide, and pose significant barriers to sleep.
Disruption of Daily Life
Social distancing, school closures, quarantines, and working-from-home all bring profound changes to normal routines for people of all ages and walks of life.
It can be difficult to adjust to a new daily schedule or lack of a schedule.
Keeping track of the time, and even the day, can be hard without typical time “anchors” like dropping kids at school, arriving at the office, attending recurring social events, or going to the gym.
Being stuck at home, especially if it has low levels of natural light, may reduce light-based cues for wakefulness and sleep, known as zeitgebers, which are crucial to our circadian rhythm.
If you are not working at the moment or your weekly hours have been decreased due to COVID-19, you may be tempted to oversleep each morning. Sleeping more than seven to eight hours per night can make waking up on time much more difficult, even if you use an alarm. Over-sleepers may also feel groggy, irritable and unfocused throughout the day.
Anxiety and Worry
Worries abound in the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, many people fear catching the coronavirus because they don’t want to get sick or infect other people inadvertently. Most people have close friends or family who are older or in high-risk groups because of preexisting conditions, spurring worries about their health and safety.
Economic concerns are affecting nearly everyone as well. As economic activity stalls and job losses mount, it’s normal to worry about income, savings, and making ends meet.
There’s still so much unknown about this pandemic — how long lockdowns will last, whether hospitals can manage the crisis, when life will return to normal — and such uncertainty often brings anxiety that disrupts sleep as a racing mind keeps the body tossing and turning.
Depression and Isolation
This crisis can trigger feelings of isolation and depression that may be even worse for people who have a loved one who is sick or has passed away from COVID-19. Grief and depression can be exacerbated by isolation at home, and both are known to have the potential to cause significant sleeping problems.
Depression can be more than just feelings of sadness. Other symptoms may include a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, and a low appetite or overeating. Researchers reported the rates of depression tripled throughout the pandemic, while a decrease in sleep and an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption led to spikes in the rates of depression.
The pandemic has taken a significant toll on our mental health, which can disrupt normal sleep patterns.
Greater Family and Work Stress
Many families are under serious stress as a result of the coronavirus. Canceled trips, isolation from friends, and an abundance of time spent at home can place a strain on anyone. Keeping up with work-from-home obligations or managing a house full of children who are accustomed to being at school can pose real problems, generating stress and discord that have been shown to be barriers to sleep.
Excess Screen Time
Whether it’s checking the news on your phone, joining a Zoom with family, binge-watching Netflix, or putting in extra hours staring at a computer while working-from-home, social distancing can mean a huge increase in screen time.
Excess screen time, especially later in the evening, can have a detrimental impact on sleep. Not only can it stimulate the brain in ways that make it hard to wind down, but the blue light from screens can suppress the natural production of melatonin, a hormone that the body makes to help us sleep.
Stress-Related Fatigue
The chronic stress of living through the uncertainty of a pandemic can lead to a host of physical symptoms, including persistent headaches, memory lapses, and digestive problems. Stress-related fatigue is another common side effect. The Mayo Clinic defines fatigue as “a nearly constant state of weariness that develops over time and reduces your energy, motivation and concentration.”
Even if you receive an adequate amount of sleep at night, fatigue can still leave you feeling tired and unmotivated in the morning.
Why Is Sleep Important During a Pandemic?
Sleep is a critical biological process, and as we juggle the mental, physical, and emotional demands of the pandemic, it’s arguably more important than ever.
For instance:
Sleep empowers an effective immune system. Solid nightly rest strengthens our body’s defenses, and studies have even found that lack of sleep can make some vaccines less effective.
Sleep heightens our brain functions, and our mind works better when we get good sleep. A solid night’s rest contributes to complex thinking, learning, memory, and decision-making. For adults and children adapting to work and school at home, good sleep can help them stay sharp.
Sleep enhances moods. Lack of sleep can make a person irritable, drag down their energy level, and cause or worsen feelings of depression.
Sleep improves mental health. Besides depression, studies have found that a lack of sleep is linked with mental health conditions like anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Experts agree that getting consistent, high-quality sleep improves virtually all aspects of health, which is why it is worthy of our attention during the coronavirus pandemic.
This article is for informational purposes only. Consult your local medical authority for advice. For up-to-date information on the COVID-19 outbreak and vaccine, visit cdc.gov.
