The curse of coronasomnia: How you can get better sleep

Another lesson of the pandemic is that a good night’s rest has never been more important – or elusive.

Have you been waking up on the wrong side of the bed this pandemic? Maybe you’ve been having vivid dreams since the emergence of Covid-19? In this podcast episode from the American Psychological Association, sleep expert Dr Jennifer Mills breaks down the phenomenon known as “coronasomnia”.

Episode 144 – Covid-19 insomnia and the importance of sleep – Speaking of Psychology

•Format: Single episode

•Year: 2021

•Listen on: The APA website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts

How did you sleep?

Martin says there is growing evidence that when sleep issues are treated, people experience lower blood pressure and better moods, and also seem to

cope better

“Is your sleep schedule a mess lately?” host Kim Mills begins the podcast by asking. If your answer is a tired “yes”, you’re not alone. Mills reflects how the “uncertainty, stress and disrupted routines we’ve all experienced” during the Covid-19 pandemic have taken a toll on our sleep.

In fact, the American Psychological Association found that two in three people surveyed have reported disrupted sleep since the pandemic began, either sleeping more or less than before.

Mills goes on to ask how these disrupted sleep patterns may be affecting our physical and mental health, how the listener could treat their troubled sleep patterns and, perhaps most importantly, is so-called “coronasomnia” permanent, carrying on even once the pandemic is over?

Dr Jennifer Martin, a clinical psychologist and expert in sleep medicine, weighs in for this podcast episode.

“The changes in our habits and our routines and the levels of stress and anxiety have been having a direct impact on sleep, not just for a few people, but for the majority of people,” she affirms.

Martin says there has been a rise in the sales of over-the-counter sleep aids and melatonin – a “herbal supplement often touted as a treatment for insomnia”.

Sales in these remedies “have tripled or doubled” in the past year, Martin says. “So, not only are people having trouble with their sleep, but they’re trying to figure out what to do about it.”

The pandemic has also affected what we dream about. Kathy Katella reported for Yale Medicine last year that people were having “strange, intense, colourful and vivid dreams” and many were having disturbing nightmares related to Covid-19”, something Martin says is not surprising.

“After we experience something stressful or traumatic, one of the ways that our mind potentially processes those experiences is during REM sleep, and it’s not uncommon for people to have disturbing dreams or nightmares about events that happened to them during the day,” she says.

There is a similar effect with natural disasters, and when people experience individual traumas, our brains need to process what has been going on. Sleep is more than just closing your eyes and opening them again a few hours later; it has a profound impact on all aspects of life. “Sleep is an event that occurs all over our body and everywhere in our brain,” Martin says. Physically, insufficient sleep affects metabolism. A lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity and heart disease and it can worsen our memory.

Mentally, not sleeping well affects our mood and it also makes us less able to cope and adapt to emotional stressors.

Martin says there is growing evidence that when sleep issues are treated, people experience lower blood pressure and better moods, and also seem to cope better.

“That’s kind of the good news story here.”

How to sleep better

“Do you think we’re likely to learn anything from this pandemic experience about sleep, and the importance of sleep, that will be really useful going forward?” Mills asks.

Martin replies that, through the pandemic, we have realised how important getting a good night’s rest is for us, and there are several practices we can use to get there – one of which is mindfulness (the technique of focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations)..

Being aware of how much sleep you may need is important to balance your life (and work) around proper resting and sleeping times. How much sleep you may need looks different for everyone – you may need a little more or less than someone else, and it is important to respect your body’s cues.

Martin also suggests setting up creative boundaries to maintain a work-life balance – which is ever important with so many more people working from home. Work should not encroach on your personal time and sleeping habits.

For the sleep-deprived podcast lover, this author also recommends Nothing Much Happens, a sleep cast of “bedtime stories for grown-ups” narrated by a soothing voice to sleep-train your brain and lull you into dreamland.