Not Just Insomnia, but Coronasomnia!

For many of us, sleep problems aren’t new. But since Covid-19 entered our lives, it’s wreaked nothing but havoc to our physical, emotional and mental health. As we adjust to a new lifestyle of working from home and home-schooling our kids… it’s no wonder our sleep cycles have gone haywire!

What is CORONASIOMNIA?

Since the pandemic, people are reporting more sleep problems than ever before. Experts have now labelled the current sleep crisis “coronasomnia” and it’s a real and widespread thing.

The difference between normal insomnia and coronasomnia is that the latter is directly caused by and unique to living in a global pandemic.

What are the symptoms?

● Difficulty falling and staying asleep.

● Delayed sleep schedules, like sleeping later, waking up later, and taking long naps during the day.

● Symptoms of sleep deprivation like bad mood and poor concentration.

What causes it?

● Increased stress. Stress is a known trigger for insomnia because it activates our nervous system, releasing adrenaline and cortisol. This leads our heart rate and blood pressure to increase, making it difficult to fall asleep.

● Loss of daily routines. As we can barely go out and do the things we normally do, a lot of us feel a mixture of anxiety, isolation and boredom. We can end up working and sleeping at weird hours, affecting our circadian rhythms.

● Increased screen time. Spending so much time online affects our sleep, because the blue light from our phones and laptops suppresses our body’s release of melatonin, the sleep hormone that makes us feel drowsy.

What’s the solution?

There are many ways to improve what experts call sleep hygiene – habits for sleeping well every night. In our previous blog post on “7 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep”, we shared some practical tips like setting a schedule, avoiding alcohol, taking a melatonin supplement and staying away from electronics just before bedtime.

We also advise against taking sleeping pills, which may be helpful in the short-term but can cause addiction and even overdose. Anti-histamines are not recommended either, as they produce hangover effects like dry mouth and constipation.

Speak to our sleep medicine consultants

In treating insomnia, it is important to find a group of healthcare professionals who are experienced and trained in this specialty. Our sleep medicine consultants provide personalised management and treatment for insomnia and sleep apnea – a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep.

If you want a long-term, effective and holistic solution to your coronasomnia, then let us help you with a personalised sleep consultation. Our team of consultants are more than happy to customise a sleep management plan for you, taking into account your age, gender, lifestyle, genetics, environment and medical condition. Our hope is that everyone will sleep well and live well, so get in touch today!

REFERENCES

1. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/covid-19-and-sleep/coronasomnia

2. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210121-the-coronasomnia-phenomenon-keeping-us-from-getting-sleep

3. https://health.ucdavis.edu/health-news/newsroom/covid-19-is-wrecking-our-sleep-with-coronasomnia–tips-to-fight-back-/2020/09