Quaran-Sleep: How to get a good night's rest during quarantine
If you’re anything like me, your sleep schedule has probably gone to hell in a handbasket during quarantine. Even as some states (like Texas) are starting to reopen, COVID restrictions are still in effect in many other states. Additionally, some have chosen to continue self-quarantining until the number of new COVID cases begins to trend downward.
Millions of Americans were already battling insomnia and other sleep-related issues before the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, the challenges of working from home have created sleep problems for many people, even those who were previously unaffected.
“Before the pandemic, my sleep schedule was very regular,” said DaVivian Larmond, 26, of Florida. “I would wake up and be very active, do my exercise in the morning and then go to work.”
Lamond works in retail and began working remotely about six weeks ago. Since then, she has noticed significant changes in her sleeping habits.
“Since this all started, I’ve noticed I take more naps. I’d wake up from a nap, be up for a while, then take another nap,” Larmond said. “Then, all of a sudden, I started staying up later until two or three in the morning. So, then I’d sleep through the day and be up all night.”
According to the National Sleep Foundation, there are several possible reasons for the sleep changes many of us are experiencing, including disruptions in our daily lives, worry and anxiety, depression and isolation, stress-related fatigue, greater family and work stress, and excessive screen time.
Dr. Kennetha Frye-Ortega, 33, of Houston works as a licensed psychologist and says she has been affected by many of these factors.
Christina Morillo / Pexels.com
The blue light produced by electronic devices like cell phones, tablets, and computers has been found to interfere with the body’s natural sleep-promoting processes, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
“I already take medication for anxiety and depression, then adding to it is the excess screen time,” Frye-Ortega said. “Even before this started, I was on the computer to do my patient notes, but it isn’t as profound an amount of time as it is now.”
Unlike Lamond, Fyre-Ortega has experienced mid-sleep awakenings during quarantine.
“Before quarantine, I’d usually get eight to nine hours of sleep,” Frye-Ortega said. “I would still go to sleep late, mostly because of my husband’s work schedule. But I wouldn’t have to be at work until 10 or 11 a.m., so I’d still get my sleep. Now, it’s like I’m waking up at all hours of the night or through the night.”
While quarantine has created sleep troubles for some, it has highlighted previously unhealthy habits for others.
“Before all this started, my sleep schedule was always based around plans,” said Shane Mosley, 28, of Dallas. “I hosted game nights on Friday, so I would be up late. Wednesday night I was busy too. I lost more sleep and didn’t have time to make it up, so I felt more fatigued before.”
During Dallas’s shelter-in-place order, Mosley noticed some positive changes in his sleep habits.
“I might stay up late still, but the latest would be 1:30 a.m. But I knew I might be able to take a nap during the day, so I was able to compensate,” Mosley said.
He added that not having to commute and having more time to exercise have also helped him feel more rested during this time.
“Since I do not have to drive to work, there’s no commute and no traffic. So, I get about an hour and a half more sleep,” Mosley said. “Being able to nap during the day made me feel more healthy, and I was able to get a lot more activity in the afternoon. Sometimes my roommate and I might walk five to six miles a day just to have something to do.”
Though good sleep is always imperative, healthy sleeping habits are even more important as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Sleep empowers an effective immune system, heightens brain function, enhances mood, and improves mental health, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
To help people combat sleep disturbances, the National Sleep Foundation has released a list of guidelines for sleeping well during the COVID-19 outbreak. The list includes things like setting strict wake-up, wind-down, and bedtimes, reserving your bed for sleeping only, reducing screen time, and using relaxation techniques.
“I’m trying to sleep train myself like an infant,” Larmond laughed, explaining the habit changes she’s implemented. “When I go to sleep, I put my phone away from me. I put all my electronics away. TVs off. And I’ve started playing some calming music.”
Like Larmond, Frye-Ortega has also made some changes in hopes of getting a better night’s sleep.
“I’ve tried not to take naps during the day and workout regularly. My personal trainer and I do virtual training lessons. And I’ve changed my eating habits,” Frye-Ortega said. “This past week I’ve definitely been sleeping more, but there are still times I wake up in the middle of the night and watch TV or something.”
Though Mosley has been experiencing less fatigue during quarantine, he credits his sound sleeping habits to remaining active both physically and socially.
“I feel like quarantine was a healthy situation for me because I didn't live alone and I try to stay active,” Mosley said.
Mosley has picked up a few hobbies during quarantine, continued his weekly game nights online, and socialized with others from a safe distance when possible.
“This quarantine has also helped me to consider what's actually important and what’s not,” Mosely said. “There were a lot of things that I used to stress about or worry about before this all started that I’ve realized aren’t actually important.”
Those who continue to experience trouble sleeping, even after implementing the National Sleep Foundation guidelines are encouraged to contact their doctor. As many doctors increase availability via email or telemedicine, it may even be possible to discuss concerns without having to physically visit their office.
