Why is the coronavirus lockdown playing havoc with our sleep?

Let us help get your sleeping patterns back in order…

There’s many reasons that sleep might be an issue amidst the coronavirus pandemic and current lockdown measures. A lack of natural light, stress, reduced physical activity and general fear for the future is frightening. All these factors are taking their toll on our body and minds. 

Even working from home can impact restful sleep - especially if you work from your bedroom or in bed. 

Stress and sleep

Lack of sleep deals us a double-edged sword under stressful circumstances, because stress and anxiety can lead to a lack of sleep, and lack of sleep can further accentuate levels of stress.

Stress impacts our sleep cycle. If a person is sleeping properly they will pass through five stages of sleep while snoozing.  A sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, and during that time we move through five stages of sleep. The first four stages make up our non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and the fifth stage is when rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs. Frequently being in a heightened state of alertness can delay the onset of sleep and cause rapid, anxious thoughts to occur at night - affecting the sleep cycle process that ensures our restful sleep.

Considering the saturation of information across news platforms, social media and often daily coronavirus conversations - it’s unsurprising to find the distress of Covid-19 cropping up more and more in our dreams. 

It is understood that dreams are often more memorable when a person has a disturbed sleep cycle - making nightmares more prominent in our minds during our waking hours. 

It’s a bit of a vicious cycle when it comes to stress and sleep, but the silver lining is there are steps we can take to help combat these sleep related issues. 

In order to gain some restful sleep during these challenging times, try following these simple steps. Hopefully you’ll find that some of those night time worries are soothed. 

How to get some quality sleep

• Daily routine is key: Stick to your pre-lockdown routine. Don’t stay in bed too long in the morning and keep bedtime to a reasonable hour. 
• Maintain a healthy, balanced diet and stick to meal times: You’re not alone if working from home is turning you into a professional grazer - but It’s important to try your best to stick to mealtimes. Keeping to a schedule and being mindful of what you eat will help keep your body’s natural sleep signals on track. 
• Access natural light (where feasible): Many countries are under strict lockdown curfews meaning access to natural light on a daily basis can be a challenge. Though sleep expert Dr Kat Lederle says that even standing by an open window for a few minutes as the sun shines in the morning can help wake you up and send those signals to your body about when it’s time to function and when it’s time to rest.
• Keep moving: You may not be able to exercise outside, but there’s plenty to keep you moving inside the home. You could try following a workout video on YouTube, joining an Instagram Live session or taking a simple stroll around the house or flat. These are all valuable movements that can help your body feel ready for sleep at night,
• Avoid caffeine in the afternoons and evenings: Unsurprisingly, drinking anything that contains caffeine will make it a lot harder to get to sleep. As bedtime approaches, say no to coffee, tea and cola - also check the ingredients of other fizzy drinks.
• Distinguish between work and rest time: When working from home it’s vital to send messages to your brain to clearly define when it’s work time and when it’s rest time. This will help maintain productivity throughout the day and help make sure you sleep well at night. If you are working, have a designated workspace (ideally outside the bedroom if possible). Change out of your pjs for working and stick to clear working hours rather dipping in and out.
• Reduce or avoid alcohol consumption: It's true that alcohol may make you fall asleep more quickly, but it's also true that it's likely to wake you up again a short while later. This is because, when alcohol is consumed in more than moderate amounts, it can cause excessive sweating, headaches and even nightmares.
• Have a technology curfew: You might be tempted to work late or keep watching your new favourite series on the streaming platform of choice, but exposing the eyes to light (and in particular blue light) and feeding our mind with information in the evening can be overstimulating for the brain. Try setting a curfew for using your phone and laptop to give your mind the opportunity to settle down before going to bed.’
• Do a relaxing activity half an hour before going to sleep: Examples could include reading a book, doing some gentle yoga or stretching, writing in a journal (perhaps three things you are grateful for is a good starting point…), meditating or listening to music. 

Take care and sleep well.