With the lockdown still in place and despite all the means of communication amid social distancing, a sense of isolation has crept in. The economy has ground to a halt, and many people are afraid for themselves and their loved ones.
Such unprecedented changes are affecting the sleep cycle of millions of people across the world. Sleep is crucial to maintain a strong mental and physical health which is the very essence of a healthy lifestyle but as the pandemic continues, sleep is taking a bigger hit in people's life.
Many experts and doctors have observed that besides millions of people already suffering from insomnia before the pandemic, the novel Coronavirus has created a host of new challenges even for people who previously had no sleeping problems, more particularly among children.
ETV Bharat spoke to Dr Manvir Bhatia, Director Sleep Medicine & Senior Neurologist about how and why the pandemic is disrupting sleep cycle and how it can be improved?
"I have bee dealing with patients of all age group and genders suffering from a sleep disorder, and the major factors being the level of stress which is due to multiple reasons- people are worried about their job security, their savings as the threat of the pandemic grows. The stress about one's health and their loved ones is another major factor that reflects our quality of sleep. As the pressure keeps mounting, a lot of hormones are being secreted which interferes the quality of sleep. Of course, worries abound in the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, many people fear to catch the Coronavirus because they want to fall sick or infect others", Dr Manvir Bhatia told ETV Bharat.
"I have been doing a few online consultations these days and yes some of my previous patients have come up with problems who were already suffering from insomnia and some fresh ones have come up too", she adds.
"Whatsoever, sleep disorders are observed among people of all age groups but the problem is being observed more among middle-aged people, children who are continuously exposed to the worries build-up due to COVID-19, especially due to news doing the rounds on the internet. They can easily imbibe it and can get nightmares". Dr Bhatia underlines.
She points out that the major issue being faced by the people includes- difficulty in falling asleep, poor sleep quality and that it is very fragmented, lethargic and a feeling of tiredness while waking up.
"There are a few more major causes which are giving rise to sleep disorders, especially during this time. Firstly, there is an increase in sleep screen time which is well known that it suppresses internal melatonin which helps to induce good quality sleep.
Secondly, worries and tension which causes anxiety, which in turn releases a lot of hormones which interferes with the quality of sleep. Thirdly, there is no fixed pattern, people are not following a strict routine that means the body clock is not being set well which can cause disruption in the night and the other impact being social isolation which triggers loneliness, low feeling and the sleep gets affected", she says.
However, the doctor has several tips and recommendations following which can help one overcome the difficulty of losing sleep which is very essential at this time of crisis as it is crucial effective functioning of the immune system.
Tips:
- To Decrease screen time
- Set your schedule and fixed routine
- Stay active, Physical exercise- a must but not after 7 pm
- Decrease intake of caffeine and tea
- Decrease tv timing of binge-watching
- Watch what you eat and drink
- Utilize relaxation techniques.
ALSO READ: Telangana police to rollout AI-based system to check face mask norm violations
