Stress About COVID-19 Keeping You Awake? 6 Tips for Better Sleep
A good night’s sleep is paramount for the health of your brain and body.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, sowing anxiety and worry along with it, getting a healthy amount of quality sleep probably isn’t as easy as it used to be.
And getting good sleep is more important now than ever.
1. Maintain a regular routine
No matter how your life has been affected, it’s of the utmost importance to keep a regular routine in order to get good sleep.
2. Don’t nap excessively
If you’ve found yourself in a self-quarantine or work-from-home situation due to the pandemic, the bedroom or couch might end up calling — a little too frequently.
Adding to the importance of establishing a routine for yourself, make sure you’re not napping excessively, as this can even make you sleepier during the day, potentially altering or disrupting a regular sleep routine.
3. Get some exercise (just not before bed)
Yes, your gym is probably closed, but exercise should still be part of your daily life. Daily exercise is still just as important, especially for sleep.
Just don’t exercise within a few hours of bedtime because the stimulation of physical exertion can make it harder to get to sleep.
4. Structure your news intake
It’s nearly impossible to escape the constant distressing flow of COVID-19 news and information that permeates daily life right now. And yes, constantly consuming a 24/7 pandemic news cycle is likely to ratchet up your anxiety and affect your sleep.
Be diligent in limiting how many times per day you check your phone, and for how long, to read news related to the pandemic. Singh also recommends treating the news similar to how you might caffeine: don’t consume it before bed.
5. Limit blue light exposure near bedtime
The internet has proved to be an invaluable tool for communication and entertainment during a time in which people across the world have been mandated to self-quarantine or shelter in place.
However, staring at a screen all day is not helpful when you’re trying to fall asleep.
6. Avoid drinking excessive alcohol
Alcohol also isn’t a healthy coping mechanism for dealing with stress and anxiety either. The one-two punch of alcohol and poor sleep can have a real effect on diminishing the immune system.
