Having a good night's sleep also means having a healthy body and mind. Nevertheless, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people from all over the world, spreading worry and anxiety along with it, attaining an adequate amount of quality sleep, perhaps, is no longer as it used to be.
Additionally, getting sound sleep is more essential now than ever. A Lenox Hill senior neuropsychologist in New York City, Brittany Lemonda, Ph.D. said, everyone knows that sleep is linked directly to immunity when it comes to the body's physiological response. She added, not being able to sleep well can reduce the immune system and can "increase inflammation in the body" which can unarguably result in being more susceptible to different infections.
Not having enough sleep may also play a vital role in a person's body, specifically its ability to stay safe from COVID-19 which is now sweeping the world. On top all the hygiene behaviors recommended to fight the virus like as hand-washing and social distancing, it is also vital to consider one's sleep condition as another way to stay protected from the disease. As of this writing, COVID-19 has already affected more than 700,000 and killed over 30,000 people globally.
ALSO READ: Five Reasons You Should Take a Nap on National Napping Day
5 Effective Tips for Better Sleep
Of all the countries affected by COVID-19, the United States has the most number of infected people with 142,735 confirmed cases. Meanwhile, Italy has the largest death toll with 10,779 deaths. These two countries have gone ahead of China, the country the said source of this pandemic. The latest count has it that the Chinese nation currently has 81,470 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,304 deaths. Surely, you wouldn't want to be counted as one of the people either under the confirmed cases or fatalities. The 5 tips below can help you make that happen. Read on!
Keep Your Regular Routine
A lot of people today are living their daily lives completely upended as a direct outcome of COVID-19. There are even some people who have been laid off, while others still adjust to their new "work from home" arrangement with their employer. No matter how affected your life has been with this pandemic, it is of the greatest importance to maintain a routine so you can get a good sleep. According to some sleep experts, this is the perfect time to remember and be very careful of how every person lives his life in a different manner. Therefore, there is a need for one to keep his life as close to his routine as possible.
When It's Nap Time, Just Nap and Don't Oversleep
With this Self-quarantine or work-from-home set up because of the pandemic, the couch or bedroom can be very inviting. Adding to the vitality of developing a routine for yourself, guarantee yourself that you are not taking your naps excessively as you'll feel sleepier throughout the day. Having a normal routine of sleep should be able to help you survive the whole day. So, instead of napping, make use of your healthy routine to wake up early and start making things right and done ahead of time.
Exercise but Not Before Bedtime
Your gym may be closed but this should never hinder you from exercising every day. It is important to know that daily workout is still just as essential, especially if you want to achieve sound sleep every night. Essentially, exercising during the day is undeniably important. More so, it is linked to improved sleep, for reasons that are pathophysiological. In relation to this, a person is said to feel more tired if he has exerted himself. He also feels quite accomplished during the day, after finishing an exercise routine earlier. Experts just emphasized though, not to exercise a couple of hours before bedtime due to stimulation of some physical exertions as it makes it harder to sleep.
Don't Constantly Watch the News
It is almost impossible to escape the continuous distressing flow of information and news about COVID-19 that permeate everyday life at the moment. Certainly, continuously consuming the 24/7 news cycle featuring the pandemic is possible to ratchet up one's anxiety and impact their sleep.
While it is important to be updated with what's going on, especially that COVID-19 spreads so fast, it is also important to be diligent in restricting the number of times each day one has to check his phone to read the news about the pandemic.
Do Not Drink Too Much Alcohol
Some think that if they drink, they'd feel better at the time they're drinking alcohol, and when they feel like they're passing out, they are not actually getting that good and restful sleep they need. Essentially, alcohol is not a healthy coping tool when one is dealing with anxiety and stress. Relatively, a punch or two of alcohol, and poor sleep can lead to a real impact on reducing the immune system.