IS LOCKDOWN LIFE TURNING YOU INTO AN INSOMNIAC? HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP? WHAT DOES A HEALTHY SLEEP CYCLE LOOK LIKE?

It is 10 pm, you turn off the television and with a firm belief that tonight you are going to sleep on-time you get ready for bed. You put the phone on DND mode, turn off the lights and close your eyes. The clock strikes 10:45 pm, still awake you pick up your cell phone to scroll through the internet. It’s 12:45 pm and you go back to your work emails because you are not sleepy at all. Between 2-3 am after enjoying another movie and a packet of chips you finally get some sleep. Until a work call at 9 wakes you up, you do not mind sleeping till noon. Is this what your lockdown sleeping pattern look like? Well! Join the club.

Coronavirus has created a global health anxiety. In March one of the most trending hashtags on twitter was #cantsleep. With more than 23lac Instagram posts, people took it to social media to share with the rest of the world how life under lockdown is severely impacting their sleep pattern. While there are numerous reasons, try and figure out what might be causing you insomnia. Some of the reasons can be, you are-

 Stressed and worried about the future.

 Living all by yourself and feeling isolated and depressed.

 Fearful about catching the virus.

 Losing hope at work and business that have suffered severely.

 Finding it hard to cope up with your relationships.

 Money matters are making you more anxious.

TURNING AROUND YOUR SLEEP CYCLE EVEN AT THE TIME OF CRISIS LIKE THIS ISN’T HARD!

While professional help is just one call away to begin with, all you have to do is, follow these simple steps as diligently as possible to enhance your sleep.

1. Sleep in a dark room

The optic nerve in the eye senses the light no matter how big or small it is and transmits a signal to the brain telling it to wake up. This further kickstarts other functions of the body. The artificial light from your router, alarm clock, night lamp elevates the cortisol levels at night, disrupting sleep and introduces various other problems starting from insulin resistance, systematic inflammation, and hormone imbalance.

2. Reduce the screen-time

Using tablets, mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices before sleep will delay your body clock, raising alertness and suppressing the release of sleep-inducing hormone of the body. The more electronic devices one uses in the evening the harder it is to fall or stay asleep which makes it important for you to have a curfew time and cut short your usage of electronic devices. With lockdown and nowhere to go, I am sure this is a major struggle for all of us.

3. Enjoy some daylight

Now that you cannot go outside for long hours, it becomes more important to get exposure to natural daylight. Also referred to as the sleep-inducing hormone, lack of melatonin levels in the body will adversely affect your sleeping pattern. The exposure to daylight will help balance the Melatonin levels in your body helping you get a sound sleep.

4. Stick to a routine

In such abnormal times, establishing a routine will help facilitate some normalcy. Set a wake-up time, work time, time to unwind and a time to turn off the lights and go to bed. Personal tip, avoid naps at all times! This will definitely delay the sleep. Even if these seem like some lazy summer afternoons with nothing much to do, the best way to sleep well at night will be to make sure you don’t nap at odd times.

5. Pick up a physical routine

A sedentary lifestyle during this lockdown can be making you lazy. Working out regularly not only will reduce the stress but will improve your quality of sleep. Any type of movement is better than no movement. Within the safe premises of your home, you can opt for yoga, aerobics, and cardio exercises.

6. Cut down on toxic substances

Even if you are a moderate drinker, dependence on alcohol thinking it will help us sleep deep is a wrong assumption. Drinking regularly or depending on alcohol to help aid sleep will interfere with a healthy sleep pattern. Not only alcohol will affect the circadian rhythm but also it will adversely affect your body and you can end up with more physical problems like leaky gut syndrome, depression, poor liver function, and disrupted sleep-wake cycles.

7. Try breathing and relaxation techniques

Various relaxation techniques and breathing techniques can help in managing stress and improves sleep. In one of our articles, our experts have decoded some techniques for beginners that are meant to reduce physical tension and interrupt the thought processes that are affecting sleep.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT A HEALTHY SLEEP CYCLE

Part of your internal biological clock, a sleep cycle is made up of 4 stages where each cycle lasts for 90 minutes. In stage 1, you fall into a light sleep and your eye movements are slowed down. In stage 2, the brain waves start to slow down and in stage third and fourth, you will experience deep sleep. This is the stage where your body starts to restore and repair itself.

People who often complain they cannot sleep or they sleep light, they fail to reach stages 3 and 4. Very few people know your sleep has a direct impact on your immune system and lack of sleep can make your mind and body prone to various physical and psychological disorders.

If you or your loved one is struggling with sleep, don’t shy away. Metabalance Healthcare is now offering teleconsultations. Our mind well-being experts with their bespoke plans offer the best treatment for depression in Delhi NCR and will be more than happy to help you navigate your way to deep sleep. Remember, good night sleep is the key to good physical and emotional health.

Disclaimer: The tips and suggestions mentioned in the article have been written for general awareness and should not be considered as professional medical advice. We strongly recommend you consult your doctor or an expert before starting any fitness regime, diet changes, or making any lifestyle changes that affect your physical or emotional health.