Reclaim a good night’s sleep

Insomnia, the inability to fall or remain asleep for a full night’s restorative sleep, is on the increase as the economic, social, emotional and physical stresses of the pandemic make it hard to shut off worries. It’s estimated that previously around 10% of adults had chronic insomnia, while around 30% had symptoms, usually temporary.

If you are having trouble sleeping, you want to nip it in the bud before it becomes chronic. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that 61% of those with chronic insomnia syndrome still battled it three years later.

You want to take steps to break the pattern and restore a healthy sleep pattern as quickly as possible. You have the tools and the ability to overcome this troubling side effect of everything that you’ve been dealing with this year. So get started.

— Establish a routine and stick to it, just like you did last year and the year before. The pandemic “has caused a lot of upheaval to our daily routines,” explains Cleveland Clinic sleep psychologist Michelle Drerup.

— Institute stimulus control: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says to avoid naps and use the bed only for sleep and sex. Keep digital devices and screens out of the bedroom.

— Identify the sleep disrupters in your life: habits (drinking or eating before bedtime, smoking, taking recreational drugs), medications and health problems such as sleep apnea, diabetes or chronic pain that can contribute to disturbed sleep. Talk with your doctor about how to resolve those issues.

— Adopt the intermittent fasting schedule in Dr. Mike’s book “What to Eat When.” Good eating patterns and optimal nutrition promote good sleep.

— Make sure to get in 10,000 steps or the equivalent daily — even indoors. Physical activity is essential for good quality sleep.

— Try online cognitive behavioral therapy to help you manage worries, change behaviors and reestablish a schedule.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.