How do the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, and food insecurity contribute to your sleep challenges?
Stress, isolation, anxiety, and depression are on the increase since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many people have noted increasing problems sleeping. Mental health and sleep are often connected. Insomnia is the most common sleep diagnosis impacted by a person's anxiety or stress levels as life's stressors can keep your mind from resting. And not being able to sleep can lead to further stress. Sleep deprivation drains your mental abilities and puts your physical health at real risk. Science has linked poor slumber with a number of health problems, from weight gain to a weakened immune system.
Noticeable signs of sleep deprivation include:
- excessive sleepiness
- frequent yawning
- irritability
- daytime fatigue
- weight gain
Sleep deprivation also negatively affects your mental abilities and emotional state. It can also compromise decision-making processes and creativity. If sleep deprivation continues long enough, you could start having hallucinations. A lack of sleep can also trigger mania in people who have a bipolar mood disorder.
Why is sleep important for health?
Sleep is critical to function properly and maintain optimal health—lack of sleep can directly impact how our bodies and minds function. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Adults who sleep fewer than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, and depression.
Sleep helps the body in many ways, such as:
- Supports a healthy immune system
- Protects heart health
- Improves mood & mental health
- Heightens brain function
7 steps to improve your sleep
If you’ve ever spent a night tossing and turning, you already know how you’ll feel the next day — tired, cranky, and out of sorts. But missing out on the recommended 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye nightly does more than make you feel groggy and grumpy. Stimulants, such as caffeine, aren’t enough to override your body’s profound need for sleep. In fact, these can make sleep deprivation worse by making it harder to fall asleep at night.
The long-term effects of sleep deprivation are real. The best way to prevent sleep deprivation is to make sure you get adequate sleep. Follow the recommended guidelines for your age group, which is 7 to 9 hours for most adults ages 18 to 64.
Other ways you can get back on track with a healthy sleep schedule include:
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule
- Avoid taking naps as these can lead to sleep disruptions
- Be as active as possible during the day and get natural light
- Get optimal sleep. This may vary but 7-9 hours should suffice
- Take a breather from electronic devices including phones and TV
- Minimise what you eat and drink in the hours leading to bedtime
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, and maintain a peaceful environment.
Those who have been sick with the virus and front-line medical workers face the brunt of the direct impacts of the disease. But consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and skyrocketing inflation have affected us all, and the stress, we are feeling poses different barriers to sleep. Also, those who already face mental health issues are higher at risk for worsening conditions, which may affect their sleep. Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns with your sleep, and above all take care of yourself.
Most of us could be forgiven for thinking there were glimmers of light at the end of a very long pandemic tunnel. We are not out of the pandemic yet, but with vaccines, advances in therapeutics, and a wealth of knowledge on how the COVID-19 virus works and spreads, things have been improving.
