Psychology Chronicles Series #32 : CORONASOMNIA | Sleep Disturbances And The COVID19 Pandemic

Sleep problems associated with the global pandemic is now coined as "Coronasomnia". Elevated levels of stress and anxiety are clear factors to deprived slumber.Our new routine of practicing social distancing and quarantining lead to isolation and depression, further exacerbating the problem by affecting both our physical- and mental health.Surveys of sleep disruptions since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic show more sleep dissatisfaction, poorer sleep quality and even a signal for increased us e of sleeping pills, especially among women, those who have been financially impacted, and health care professionals.

Not only has the pandemic been a primary benefactor of Coronasomnia, but it has also created a new level of uncertainty for most individuals around the world. Mandatory quarantines, work from home set-ups, school closures with virtual learning and social distancing have profoundly affected our daily lives.

☾☾☾
Moreover, the fact that we are missing out on our friends and our favourite pastimes which are both essential outlets for relieving our stress in life. Many of us are already experiencing mental health challenges, which can contribute into sleep problems, or vice versa. Our general sense of ambiguity and unpredictability can also feed into sleep problems, while the pandemic’s longevity is also a contributing variable; what started out as period to play around and rest at home surprisingly has become a new pattern for life that already feels semi-permanent.At first we thought its easy to feel motivated to get through the stress out of the global pandemic. But as it continues to happen presently, most individuals become less able to cope, creating greater problems, including insomnia.

Some sleep problems that some people are experiencing right now may have a great possibility of it becoming chronic and long lasting.Sadly, this crisis has hampered people to getting the right and urgent treatment in some cases; people have only looked for medical help in emergencies, while some healthcare facilities have become overwhelmed with increasing Covid-19 patients.

---

How To Fight Back From 'Coronasomnia'

---

"It’s relatively common for sleep problems like insomnia to suddenly escalate after big, negative world events like the COVI19 pandemic."

There are ways that might help you with your sleep issues during this trying times. Setting up the alarm for a consistent daily schedule will definitely help, it will help us practice regular routines to help provide us guides throughout the day. Try not to work in your bedroom. Work from home set-up should be separated as much as possible with our beds and slumber.

Sleep experts emphasised that creating a strong link between sleep and the bed is vital to our health. This would help in mind conditioning that the bed is the place for sleep and not the place to doing work related activities.

Exercise is also a great way that can help with our sleep drive, improving the quality of sleep we have. Exposing ourselves with sunlight, especially in the morning can help increasing our level of alertness and keep our sleep/wake rhythms on track.

Listening to relaxing or reading a book that's not overly invigorating,creating a calming and soothing before-sleep ritual, taking a bath or even doing mindfulness meditation can also help too. Do this night after night and you'll essentially train your brain for a good night sleep

☾☾☾

However if the symptoms still persists it is important considering to seek the help of medical professionals- especially these days. If people don’t ask for help with these sleep problems it will start to affect their daily functioning. Creating a possibility of their sleep issues to become a sleep disorder, i.e., insomnia.There isn’t a quick treatment for it. It’s hard to break habits that have formed if this happens.

However,despite the life changes that was made to lessen the sleep difficulties. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is is referred to as the next treatment of choice. According to A University of Michigan study from January 2021 showed that patients who sought CBT-I via telemedicine received just as effective treatment as they would have had in person, potentially opening up better access to medical assistance.Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is a multi-component treatment process that helps recognize and replace unwanted thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen sleep issues with strategies that promote sound slumber.

☾☾☾
Sleep is vital to both our mind and body to recharge, leaving us healthy and alert when we wake up. Without adequate amount of sleep, the brain cannot function properly. We all need it, especially under stressful times like this. So, if you are one of the many people experiencing problems with your sleep, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

We all need a good night's sleep, it was invisible before until we realized we actually need it.

References:

1.'Coronasomnia' – Another Byproduct of the Pandemic
2.How the Pandemic Has Impacted Care for Other Health Conditions
3.Coronasomnia: How the Pandemic May Be Affecting Your Sleep
4. How to Sleep Better During the Pandemic
5. COVID-19 pandemic causing 'coronasomnia', Oklahoma doctor says
6. The 'coronasomnia' phenomenon keeping you from getting sleep

Further Readings:

1. Zitting K-M, Lammers-van der Holst HM, Yuan RK, Wang W, Quan SF, Duffy JF. Google Trends reveals increases in internet searches for insomnia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(2):177–184.

2. Arnedt JT, Conroy DA, Mooney A, Furgal A, Sen A, Eisenberg D. Telemedicine versus face-to-face delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: a randomized controlled noninferiority trial. Sleep. 2021 Jan 21;44(1):zsaa136. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa136. PMID: 32658298.

3. Hwang, T. J., Rabheru, K., Peisah, C., Reichman, W., & Ikeda, M. (2020). Loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. International psychogeriatrics, 32(10), 1217–1220.

4. Mandelkorn U, Genzer S, Choshen-Hillel S, et al. Escalation of sleep disturbances amid the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional international study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(1):45-53. doi:10.5664/jcsm.8800

Images:

1.,2.,3.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

       _{@sakura1012 is an ambivert, a non-conformist, a clinical psychology graduate student, a proud feminist and a life traveler. She is currently a part time writer- a mental health advocate and a mental health professional. She promotes mental health awareness and psychology related topics through her blogs. Join her as she do the things that she loves by putting her thoughts into words and by raising her voice though her articles.}