How to overcome “coronasomnia” or insomnia following the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has turned life upside down across the planet. It rearranged all spheres of life, showed the weaknesses of the health system, and weakened the economy. And it worsened the quality of our sleep. “Sleep problems have become increasingly common during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out that these problems are related to high levels of stress and anxiety, " reads a fragment of an article on the relationship between insomnia and the pandemic, published in the medical journal "Lancet" ¹ .

Research conducted at the University of Warsaw shows that 75% of people in Poland describe the current situation in the world as "stressful" . “Many people report severe symptoms of psychopathology, such as constant anxiety, low mood, and chronic tension. The occurrence of symptoms of mental disorders is facilitated by persistent negative thinking," the scientists write in the report. More than half of the respondents (51%) reported symptoms indicating a breakdown in functioning and performance of daily duties. And severe depressive symptoms were reported by 38% of respondents ² .

Coronavirus is a side effect of COVID-19.

Insomnia is not only related to the omnipresent stress in the face of the pandemic, the situation in the world and fears about one's own health, about one's loved ones, about work, about the future, but is also one of the long-term effects of the infection. Scientists examined approximately 250,000 patients who had COVID (from January 2020 to December 2020). It turned out that insomnia is one of the most common neurological and psychiatric problems resulting from the disease ³ .

Stressed and sleep-deprived, we reached for alcohol during the pandemic.

A global survey conducted by Philips shows that 70% of people have experienced at least one new sleep disruption since the beginning of the pandemic. And 60% say that the pandemic is the main reason why they do not get enough sleep ⁴ .

The fact that we sleep worse is influenced by the stress related to the crisis situation in the world and real fears about the health and life of ourselves and our loved ones. Especially in the face of the changes that have occurred and continue to occur in our everyday lives. We limited social contacts and work largely moved to home. This made it increasingly difficult to separate her from her private and family life. Additionally, our circadian rhythm has become disturbed. Many people can get up later because they don't have to commute to work. This, in turn, causes them to go to bed later.

It also turns out that, depressed by a difficult situation in which we feel powerless, we increasingly try to calm down with alcohol . Therapists and organizations fighting addiction warn that the lockdowns introduced during the pandemic have affected both drinking patterns and alcohol sales. Survey data suggests that over half of the population has increased their alcohol consumption and frequency of drinking ⁵ . And alcohol, contrary to appearances, does not improve the quality of sleep. On the contrary, it significantly reduces it. Therefore, it promotes insomnia and other disorders.

Overcome insomnia regardless of the situation in the world.

Observing disturbing trends around the world and the global pandemic of insomnia, therapists from the University of Salzburg have developed a list of ⁶ tips to help you get enough sleep .

Some of their recommendations seem obvious. The list includes sleeping 7-9 hours, getting up at the same time, maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding stimulants, airing the bedroom and doing morning exercises. However, in addition, there were points such as separating the sleeping area from the working and studying areas. What for? This is to maintain a balance between private and professional life and remember that a bed is a place to sleep , not to work.

Researchers also suggest that the boundaries between time for work and family life should be marked with clothing. Although many people pore over computers in pajamas, it will be healthier if we dress more or less in accordance with the company's dress code while working. What else? It is worth establishing a detailed schedule so that there is room for work and entertainment. Avoiding disturbing information can also bring significant improvement . And although it is difficult because they flow from everywhere, it is worth limiting them before bed.

It will also be helpful to develop a regular ritual , lasting about half an hour, that will allow you to calm down before going to sleep. Attention! The ritual should be done with a relaxing novel or in a warm bath rather than in front of a phone screen. And if you need more tips on how to sleep to get enough sleep, check out this article.

Bibliography:

1. Alimoradi Z.,Broström A., Tsang H. et al., “Sleep problems during COVID-19 pandemic and its' association to psychological distress: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” EClinicalMedicine, June 1, 2021
2. “Mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Preliminary report from a scientific study led by Dr. Hab. Małgorzata Dragan", website of the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Warsaw, accessed on December 1, 2021.
3. Taquet M., Geddes JR, Husain M., Luciano S., Harrison PJ, “6-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes in 236,379 survivors of COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records.” Lancet Psychiatry 2021
4. “Philips survey reveals COVID-19's negative impact on sleep quality and CPAP use”, philips.com, March 10, 2021
5. “Harmful drinking in times of pandemic – research results.” Warsaw Information Service on addiction prevention, stopuzaleznieniem.pl, August 3, 2021.
6. “Recommendations for maintaining good sleep quality for people staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic”, Polish Society for Sleep Research, May 16, 2020.