Insomnia and Pandemic Stress

Do you find yourself experiencing insomnia more than ever these days?

With the recent rise in Covid-19 cases thanks to the new Omicron variant, this is extremely common. A lot has recently changed with respect to gatherings, travel, work from home orders, and more, and many people are experiencing stress and not sleeping well as a result. Whether you are back to working remotely, limiting gathering with others, or if you are one of the unlucky ones that have had to deal with isolation or a positive test result, it is very common for sleep to be affected by all the uncertainty in the world right now.

If you are experiencing insomnia because of all of this, you are not alone. Here are a few tips to help insomnia related to pandemic stress.

Limit technology and media consumption

As tempting as it can be, try to avoid the overuse of your electronic devices including phones and tablets. Furthermore, be careful as to how much of the news you watch or read, especially news that is related to the pandemic as this can cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety, which in turn can affect your sleep. If you absolutely must keep up with the news, try reading only a few articles with relevant information or limit your news watching to 30 minutes so you don’t feel anxious and overwhelmed.

Get moving

Exercise can be extremely beneficial for helping to combat stress related to the pandemic. While some options may be limited thanks to the cold outdoor temperatures, some of the simpler exercises such as going on a walk or doing a short yoga routine at home can help with this. Exercise helps to release endorphins which are beneficial to your body when it is time to go to sleep.

Stick to a routine

For many people, stress tends to escalate when any sort of routine you have is thrown off. Routines tend to help us maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle and to feel a sense of normalcy. This is especially true when it comes to routines that coincide with sleep. Make sure you stick to a good bedtime routine at night, which includes going to bed and waking up at the same time each day (or as close to the same time as possible).