How many times have you felt restless, anxious or nervous and as a result have had issues falling asleep?

Benefits of Sleep

Getting a sufficient amount of good quality sleep is important because it can:

• strengthen your immune system
• increase performance levels
• help maintain a healthy body weight
• safeguard against stress
• promote emotional wellness

You know that you are getting a good night’s sleep if you:

• Sleep for the recommended number of hours every day
• Have uninterrupted sleep throughout the night
• Feel energetic when you wake up
• Are generally alert during waking hours
• Fall asleep within 15 minutes of lying down

The recommended amount of sleep varies based on a person’s age. Adults are advised to sleep for 7-9 hours and teens should ideally get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Younger children need approximately 9-12 hours of sleep every night for their healthy growth and development.

Examine Screen Usage

At times, teenagers may find it hard to sleep at night. Although studies show that this might be due to the fact that the teen brain produces melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, at a later time, it can be helpful to examine screen usage and the amount of time teenagers spend on their phones each day.

It is now known that blue light that is emitted by electronic devices, suppresses and delays the release of the hormone melatonin, which in turn can interfere with the circadian rhythm. As there are various benefits to the use of technology, and it has become an integral part of our lives, it wouldn’t make sense to get rid of screens. Instead, a preferred course of action would be to try and understand their effects and how to balance them.

Traumatic events can also create barriers to sleep or exacerbate sleep difficulties.
Stress-related fatigue is a common side effect of living through a pandemic. It relates to a constant state of weariness that can negatively impact a person’s quality of sleep, leaving them feeling tired and unmotivated. It can also affect the ability to concentrate and stay focused throughout the day.

During COVID-19, people who had never experienced issues related to sleep, have increasingly reported insomnia disorder, i.e. problems with falling asleep or getting good quality sleep. Lock down may have deprived us of light-based cues, which are our typical time anchors for wakefulness and sleep. And so, the drastic change in the consistency of our routines may have disrupted our sleep behaviours. Changes in stress levels due to the general uncertainty, worries related to health and safety, low mood due to social isolation or economic concerns can also lead to disrupted sleep patterns.

Poor Sleep and Low Mood Are Interconnected

Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression can often lead to various sleep difficulties, while insomnia or sleep deprivation can be symptoms of a mood disorder. People are generally able to distract themselves or use other strategies to deal with stress during the day, but it may be difficult to “switch off” the negative thoughts when they go to bed at night.

Improving the Quality of Our Sleep

We can work towards prioritizing sleep and making some changes by:

• Having a structured routine during the day for meals, work and rest
• Incorporating exercise and down time into our daily routines
• Maintaining fixed waking and sleeping times
• Keeping the room slightly cool, typically between 15 and 20 degrees Centigrade, to reduce restlessness and facilitate the onset of sleep
• Darkening the room with blackout shades or eye masks to stimulate the secretion of melatonin
• Avoiding long naps or naps later in the day that can interfere with night-time sleep
• Refraining from using the bed space for work related activities
• Putting phones on silent and restricting the use of devices right before bed
• Being mindful of information overload; limiting news to certain trusted, evidence-based platforms
• Engaging in a bed-time ritual that involves relaxing activities (This may vary from person to person and can involve activities such as light reading, listening to calming music, meditating, stretching, taking a warm bath, wearing comfortable pyjamas, etc.)

If sleep problems persist despite these lifestyle changes, it may be time to seek out professional help. You can reach out to our therapists at ATIC Dubai by calling 04 339 2240 or emailing info@atic-me.com

References:

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. 2020. COVID-19 Q&A: Sleep Disturbances. [online] Available at: <https://med.stanford.edu/psychiatry/about/covid19/sleep.html> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

Kidshealth.org. 2020. Sleep Problems In Teens (For Parents) – Nemours Kidshealth. [online] Available at: <https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sleep-problems.html#:~:text=This%20change%20in%20the%20circadian,affects%20a%20teen’s%20daily%20activities.> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

Sleep Foundation. 2020. How Screen Time May Cause Insomnia In Teens – Sleep Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/screen-time-and-insomnia-what-it-means-teens> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

Sleep Foundation. 2020. How Sleep Cycles Vary Between Men And Women – Sleep Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-sleep-different-men-and-women> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

Sleep Foundation. 2020. Sleep Guidelines And Help During The COVID-19 Pandemic | Sleep Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-guidelines-covid-19-isolation> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

Sleep Foundation. 2020. How To Tell If Your Mood Could Be Interfering With Your Sleep Quality – Sleep Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/3-signs-your-mood-may-be-affecting-your-sleep> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

Sleep Foundation. 2020. What Is Healthy Sleep? | Sleep Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/shift-work-disorder/shift-work-you/what-healthy-sleep> [Accessed 10 October 2020].

WebMD. 2020. Sleep Loss: 10 Surprising Effects. [online] Available at: <https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss> [Accessed 10 October 2020].