As we adjust to stay-at-home orders, focusing on sleeping well offers many benefits. Sleep is critical to effective functioning of the immune system. It’s a key promoter of mental health and emotional wellness. Having a good sleep can reduce stress, depression and anxiety. Whether you’ve had sleeping problems before COVID-19 or just had insomnia recently, there are specific steps that you can do to improve your sleep during this pandemic. Adapt these suggestions to best suit your specific situation.
Create a consistent sleep schedule and avoid variation in your daily sleep times
1. Wake-Up Time: Set your alarm and have a fixed time to wake-up every day.
2. Wind-Down Time: It can involve things like meditating, light reading, stretching and preparations for bed like brushing your teeth and putting on pajamas.
3. Bedtime: Pick a consistent time to turn off the lights and try to fall asleep.
Don’t work in bed
Avoid working in bed. It’s necessary to be strict about what you do in bed. If you work in bed, you’ll start to associate your bedroom with the stresses of the day.
Do daily aerobic exercises
To help you sleep better, do 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise in the morning. Walking, jogging, or doing a high intensity exercise on your living room floor will get your heart rate up.
Avoid using devices before your desired bedtime
Our body needs dim light to secrete melatonin. Put down anything that shines light directly into your eyes such as your phone, tablet, TV, and laptop for 30 to 60 minutes before your desired bedtime.
Avoid watching coronavirus news before sleeping
It’s crucial to stay informed about what’s happening around the world. But watching the news before you sleep could make you feel anxious. A couple hours before bed, cut yourself off from the news so your mind will be clear.
Avoid naps that can hinder nighttime sleep
While a short power nap early in the afternoon can be useful to some people, it’s best to avoid long naps or naps later in the day that can hinder nighttime sleep.
Relaxation Techniques
Mindfulness meditation, stretching, deep breathing and yoga are just a few examples of relaxation techniques that you can build into your routines. Listen to a sleep meditation app before you sleep. There are a lot of free options on YouTube or in the app store.Smartphone apps like Calm and Headspace have programs designed for people new to meditation.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol at Night
Be cautious with the intake of caffeine and alcohol, especially later in the day, as both can disrupt the quality and quantity of your sleep. Alcohol is a diuretic, which causes you to wake up earlier in the morning and increases your need to go to the bathroom.
Contact Your Doctor if Needed
If you have severe or worsening sleep or other health problems, get in touch with your doctor. Many doctors do email or online consultation to allow patients to discuss concerns without having to physically visit their office.
Sleep is important to your health, having a good sleep is a must during quarantine. Samujana is committed to deliver our in-resort wellness experiences with love to your home. We’ll be sharing videos, tutorials, articles and advice to help you get a good night sleep at home.