Quarantine Insomnia?

The stress of Covid-19 is exceptionally high by 45% according to KFF.org. More, than ever before, people are experiencing insomnia. The entire wold is restless due to this pandemic. Many of us are suffering from physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and economical stresses. It has caused political, martial, and relational arguments. This stress has given all of us many sleepless nights. It has disjointed us from what was once normal to a displaced way of life. The activities we once enjoyed before are no longer an option. Where we once worked, we are now at home with our children. Many of us have been forced to live on a one income household, and that is if we are lucky. I often think of single mothers who have lost their job.  Also, I think of senior citizens that aren't able to have the social life they once had. I often think of my own children who used to see hundreds of people a day, but now they are limited to our immediate family, neighbors, and sometimes friends and family that occasionally stop by or that we visit. The high school seniors do not get to have prom or a normal graduation. The question is how do we get back to sleep if we are consumed by these new daily stresses? I have researched and composed a list of how we can take back our sleep!

We can take control over sleep in these simple ways:

• Reduce stress by taking time out for yourself. Start a new hobby by baking, gardening, crafting, gaming, singing etc. After all, there's no one around to judge you in the comfort of your own home. Have fun!

• Exercise for fifteen minutes a day.

  • This could be anything from yoga, jumping on a trampoline, taking a walk, stretches, dancing etc. Make it about you and what you enjoy.  The exercise helps your body rest better.

• Turn technology off at least one hour before bedtime

• Use your Blue light filters on your technology to help you sleep better.

  • When we turn on our Blue light filters it dulls down that artificial light that keeps us awake and aware.

• Read a book or listen to an audio book twenty minutes right before falling asleep

• Drink a cup of Chamomile Tea. I really enjoy Nighty Night by Traditional Medicinals, Bigelow's Sweet Dreams, and Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time.

• Avoid more than a cup of coffee a day.

  • You may reconsider decaffeinated coffee. According to Healthline "On average, an 8-ounce cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a cup of regular coffee provides 70–140 mg"

  • I switched over to tea, it still has caffeine in it, but it reduces my intake of caffeine well over fifty percent!

• Take power naps.

  • Try to nap less than 45 minutes during the day.

  • Taking power naps, helps us give that burst of energy that we need.

• Keep your room at 65°F at night.

  • Our bodies sleep better when it's cooler.

• Drink plenty of water in the morning to keep yourself hydrated.

  • You won't need to drink at night and you won't have to use the bathroom as much if you cut yourself off by 8pm

• Choose tryptophan based foods to help you sleep better such as: eggs, poultry, fish, and lots of green vegetables

  • These foods have lots of tryptophan in them! The best part about natural tryptophan is later it will transform to vitamin B. Vitamin B provides you the natural energy throughout the day, and it will help you sleep better at night

• Reduce your sugar by eating natural fruits before 2pm.

• Be cautious of your nightcap as well, it might be high in sugary contents.

• Be cautious when using melatonin.

  • It is not recommended as a long-term fix, but only as a short-term effect. The side effects can leave you feeling dizzy, light-headed, and cause head aches.

Moreno, Mike. The 17 Day Diet. New York, NY.: Simon and Schuster, 2010.

Soojung-Kim Pang, Alex. Rest. New York, NY.: Basic Books, 2016.

Coppock, Mark. "How to use a blue light filter on your PC or Mac" Digital Trends. March 26, 2020 <https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-a-blue-light-filter-on-pc-mac/>.

Goodson, Amy. "How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf Coffee?" Healthline. September 15, 2018 <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-decaf>.

Panchal, Nirmita, Rabah Kamal, Kendal Orgera, Cynthia Cox, Rachel Garfield, Liz Hamel, Cailey Muñana, and Priya Chidambaram. "The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use" April 21, 2020 <https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/>