The Suffering of COVID-Somnia & What You Can Do About It

Have you ever heard of “COVID-Somnia? Can you guess why is it called that? Sleep Neurologists have use the term “COVID-Somnia” after seeing an increase in sleep disorders associated with COVID-191. Those who have it suffer from shifts in their sleep patterns due to their fears about getting the virus, concerns about loved ones, not being able to go to work, or not having social contact with others. Even when they do manage to sleep, some describe having bizarre nightmares. For even more severe cases, they even meet the diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia, which is not being able to fall asleep within 30 minutes more than three times a week for more than three months. They get into bed, the brain kicks in, they start worrying if they're going to lose their job or if their family member is going to survive, and they literally cannot fall asleep. After hearing this, do you think you may have “COVID-Somnia”?

Well, for those who do, I want to share three solutions that you can practice. First is by setting a regular daily schedule. You should wake up at the same time, dress up as if going to work, eat breakfast and begin working as you would at the same time as you did before the pandemic. Then, you should ideally preserve time for exercise and have dinner at the same time you used to. This includes sleep. If one night you go to bed at midnight, and another at 10, your brain is like, ‘What are you doing?’ Not being consistent can be just as bad or worse than sleep deprivation. I wonder if anyone observes the same or almost the same schedule they do now compared to before MCO?

Besides having a regular daily schedule, another practice you can try is setting aside time to worry. What this means is that instead of lying in bed with numerous worries, you can try this technique used in therapy to help people reduce their worrying habits at night called "worry time". Allocate 20 to 30 minutes in the day to allow yourself to worry about everything you are thinking about and keep you on your toes. This will result in avoiding the habit of having your mind racing before going to bed. Thus, let’s say if the worry comes back, you can say, ‘I already talked about that, I dealt with it in my worry time, I have a plan and I’ll deal with it tomorrow,’ but right now I must go to bed.

The third treatment you can practice is to maximize activities that promote alertness during the daytime and avoid behaviors that promote excitement at night. In the morning, part of your routine should include exposure to bright sunlight. Having naps in the afternoon can make it harder to fall asleep at night, so avoid or limit naps. If you can't get by without one, try to limit a nap to no more than 30 minutes and don't nap after 3 p.m. At night, avoid the so-called “blue” light. Give yourself 30 to 60 minutes without watching TV or anything with a backlit screen (for example smartphone or laptop) as this specific frequency of light will disrupt your sleep. Before bedtime, you should avoid watching anxiety-provoking news programs as this would heighten anxiety and perpetuate insomnia.

Remember the three treatments you can practice, which are:

1. Set a regular daily schedule

2. Set aside time to worry

3. Maximize activities that promote alertness during the daytime and avoid behaviors that promote excitement at night

The treatments are easier preached than done. I struggled and am profound by it. However, i really like this quote by Jeffrey R. Holland.

“We get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed” - Jeffrey R. Holland        

At least, if it doesn’t work out, you know that you have attempted it. Another motivator you can use to try harder to prevent or overcome “COVID-Somnia” is that lack of sleep can pave the way to several health issues such as obesity, weak immune system, fatigue, neurological disorders, risk of chronic diseases, skin disorder, heart disorders, and impaired memory etc. Remember, we need at least six hours of sleep every day for the mind to function correctly and for the body to remain healthy.

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