If the pandemic has upended your sleep schedule, you’re not alone. Here are simple actions you can take to help yourself get rest
Initially, the COVID-19 global outbreak seemed to be the kind of problem that a few simple weeks in lockdown could fix. I remember sleeping well during these first weeks. School was out, stores were closed, and the world seemed to be taking a much-needed pause for relaxation and re-evaluation.
As history would have it, however, two weeks easily became one month, and that one month grew to almost two years and counting. Information on staying safe and maintaining healthy practices flooded social media, news outlets, and government websites and public service announcements. Infection rates rose as the world scrambled to find solutions. High levels of stress and elusive daily routines became the norm for many Canadians.
Poor sleep schedules are now notoriously associated with the COVID-19 pandemic era. Around the world, getting regular sleep during the pandemic appears to be more of a luxury than a standard.
Every year, health technology company Philips surveys people across 13 countries regarding the attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours concerning their sleep.
Philips reported that 2020 was a stressful year, full of poor sleep and bad sleep habits. Of the 13,000 adults surveyed, 70 per cent revealed experiencing one or more new sleep challenges since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 84 per cent of people reported using their cell phone in bed, with 41 per cent of those users reading news about the pandemic, and 37 per cent reading about political events.
Kathy Somers is a registered kinesiologist who runs the Stress Management & High Performance Clinic at the University of Guelph. She offers the Better Sleep Program, where participants are instructed on the application of the cognitive and behavioural techniques which decrease insomnia and promote better, more restful sleep.
According to Somers, getting good sleep looks different for everybody.
The recommended amount of nightly sleep for a young adult is nine hours, however, genetics always plays a role. It is important to evaluate your sleep on the basis of energy, and how much sleep you personally require in order to supply your body and brain with the amount of energy necessary for getting through the next day.
Sleep is crucial, as it’s the time where our brains can “take out the garbage,” so to speak.
“While we are asleep, […] our brain cells are kicking out all the garbage into these bigger hallways to be swept up and out of our body. So, if I’m short on sleep, it’s like all the garbage was not taken out. This means that physically my body is not able to function quite at its best because I was not fully restored, healed, or rejuvenated,” Somers said.
Lacking proper sleep can also impact our mood and memory.
On a day predicated upon poor sleep, we may only be remembering about 60 per cent of what we normally would be able to, says Somers. We may feel angrier and become more easily irritated. Stress and anxiety, active recall, and physical functioning all ultimately suffer in the wake of spoiled sleep.
The relationship between stress and sleep is complex, and Somers says that it can be related to the “Which came first? The ‘chicken or the egg?’” dilemma. People can get caught in the cycle of being stressed from a lack of sleep, but not being able to sleep because they’re stressed.
Despite this, Somers recommends a variety of different tips and tricks that individuals struggling with sleep can try.
Build structure
The pandemic has brought many changes to the way we go about our day-to-day lives. If you feel like your days are generally lacking structure, Somers advises us to build or rebuild it. Create a schedule. Start waking up and going to bed at the same time each day. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine for at least four hours prior to bed. Keep naps to 30 minutes or less. Sleep in a comfortable bed and bedroom every night (the darker and quieter, the better). These practices will come together to help build a predictable routine for your body.
Exercise
Physical activity is great for helping to balance the mind and body. Making exercise a part of your daily routine helps to keep the body’s internal clock on par with a sustainable sleep schedule.
Get outside
Going outside for a total of one to two hours during the day, even on days with less sunlight, provides more than the lumens required to set up the body’s internal clock and prepare us for a good night’s sleep.
Avoid blue light
The blue light that radiates through screens and devices has severe repercussions on sleep effectiveness. Blue light tells the brain not to release melatonin (sleep hormone), signaling it to stay alert, and preventing it from slowing down enough to get tired and fall asleep. Somers suggests stopping all screen time for 90 minutes to one hour before going to bed. If this time frame is difficult at first, try gradually working up to it instead.
Set aside time to worry
Many of us struggling with sleep have gone to bed with what feels like a million different thoughts. Especially during the pandemic, where feelings of stress and hopelessness are elevated, these thoughts can cause greater difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.
Somers notes that the brain tends to dwell on any kind of “unfinished business.” These thoughts may include wondering when you will get to see your family in another country, whether you will get into the University of your choice, what you want to do when you graduate, etc. Such worries, Somers says, should not be thought about in the hour before bed.
Instead, set aside time (preferably before dinner) for you to think about whatever unfinished business you have, and to make notes for a “plan of action.” What is it that you can do about the problems you are facing? Write this plan down. That way, once you decide to go to sleep, you will have already addressed your biggest worries, leaving you with the opportunity to go to bed clear-minded.
Don’t give up
Fixing a sleep schedule cannot happen overnight. For Somers, the suggested time frame for trying out new sleep techniques and tips is three to four weeks. So stick with your new routine for long enough before making any judgement calls. After the three to four week mark, you can re-evaluate and choose to either continue or change something.
Be kind to yourself
Somers says that “sleep is very dynamic.” Multiple factors come together to impact sleep. Oftentimes, in the nights leading up to important events, we find ourselves tossing and turning or waking up frequently. It is entirely natural to have nights like these, as well as nights that run smoothly. Though the general goal should be to have five out of seven good sleeps in a week, avoid aiming for constant perfection or trying too hard.
Above all, Somers encourages those struggling to try and think about the positive side of things.
“If you’ve had a night or two or three where there’s poor sleep, be heartened by the fact that there’s going to be more biological push to help get you to sleep – to try and catch up! Your body is going to try hard to catch up. So, listen to your body and be patient. You can improve your sleep over time, yes you can.”
A version of this article appeared in print in The Ontarion issue 191.3 on Oct. 28, 2021.
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