The world is giving us plenty to worry about right now. Of course, the thing that’s front and centre in most people’s minds is the pandemic and its terrible impact on our lives.
There’s seemingly no escaping COVID-19 right now, and it’s severely disrupting people’s sleeping patterns. The pandemic has caused an increase in insomnia across the UK, and with the end not yet in sight, the population continues to suffer sleepless nights.
Thankfully, there are ways to deal with this. Anyone who struggles with pandemic-related insomnia might benefit from trying these techniques.
Turn Your Phone Off
It’s good to keep up to date with the main developments of the pandemic. However, with social media and news sources oversaturated with information about COVID-19 – a lot of which is framed pretty negatively – too much of this can affect your mental wellbeing.
The best thing to do is switch off from this in the evenings to avoid any unnecessary anxiety before bed. Otherwise, this information is all that’s going to be on your mind while you’re trying to sleep, making it easy for insomnia to settle in.
Give yourself a few hours every night where you just relax and try to think positively. If that means turning off your phone, then so be it. You should be doing this anyway, seeing how using your phone at night can mess with your sleep.
Maintain A Routine
The pandemic has thrown many people’s routines off course, which hasn’t been great for their sleeping patterns. Without enough structure to daily life, it’s easy to lose track of when you should wake up, eat, and sleep. Unfortunately, the more inconsistent your daily schedule is, the likelier you are to find yourself awake at night.
The best course of action is to bring some normality back into your day, even if you’re not currently working. By keeping that pattern alive, your body will start to be hungry and sleepy when it’s meant to be. That means no afternoon naps or sleeping in for hours, both of which can be detrimental to your circadian rhythm.
Switch Your Mattress
The only thing worse than going to bed stressed is trying to fall asleep on an uncomfortable mattress. Sometimes, what you sleep on can make all the difference between whether or not an insomniac can drift off, so you must prioritise your comfort at night.
If your current mattress isn’t doing its job, you’ll want to switch it for one that meets your needs. This could be the Simba hybrid mattress, if you’re interested in a mattress that offers the comfort of foam with the bounciness of springs. The Simba hybrid mattress is formed of four layers designed to support and respond to your body, all without retaining too much heat. It features UK-made materials – including steel from nearby Leeds – and only takes a few business days to arrive. So, you can start to improve your sleep almost immediately.
Boost Your Natural Light Exposure
The sun does more than keep us warm and show us where things are during the day. The light it provides can actually do a lot of good for our health, which is why our wellbeing can suffer without it. As it turns out, this impacts our ability to sleep.
Given that the pandemic is forcing people to stay at home, there’s a good chance you’re not being exposed to enough natural light. This can mess up your circadian rhythm, which might explain why you’re not sleeping too well at the moment.
The best way to counteract this is to spend more time in the light, particularly in the morning. If you’re able to do so, a walk might help with that. Alternatively, open your curtains first thing and hang around the windows as much as possible. With any luck, the exposure to sunlight will start to deal with your insomnia.
Improve Your Mental Wellbeing
The pandemic has had a terrible impact on the mental wellbeing of UK residents. According to an ongoing study, loneliness has risen since March 2020, while people’s ability to cope with stress has declined. Although some have managed to adjust to the situation after all these months, others are still struggling as bad – if not worse – than they were a year ago.
With the virus forcing people to be isolated from loved ones, potentially putting them out of work, causing financial turmoil, and more, it’s no wonder people’s mental wellbeing is suffering. Unfortunately, that has an adverse effect on sleep, with the resulting stress, anxiety, and depression leading to insomnia.
The best solution here is to create an open dialogue with someone – either a loved one or medical professional – so you can start to deal with your concerns. Medication may also help if a doctor advises it, as can a variety of relaxing activities. Exercises like yoga might remove some of the strain, and engaging in mindfulness usually helps too.
We might not be through with the pandemic quite yet, but that doesn’t mean you have to deal with several more months of sleepless nights. See if any of these tips can tackle your insomnia and, hopefully, you’ll get the rest you deserve in these difficult times.
