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Lockdown has turned a lot of things upside-down. Including our lives, our eating habits, and our recreational or healthy activities. In a nutshell, our complete routine is in flux. Would you not agree, if I say that our sleep patterns are also completely wrecked? Some of us are sleeping a lot, whereas others cannot sleep well at all.
Experts claim that such a feeling is very normal when we have entered into a new routine that does not resonate with our older habits. That’s why staying indoors can also affect our sleeping pattern. You might be trying hard to co-operate and ensure that everyone stays safe, but some things are just not that easy for us all to do.
Why Can’t You Sleep Well
If you are someone who is not able to sleep well since the world-wide lockdown took place. Then there are some justified reasons for that:
1. Change In Schedules
To begin with, your schedule has changed a lot. You are accustomed to getting out of bed, having your breakfast and then commuting to your workplace. Now your bed is your workplace. There is no long commute in the morning or at night. Your body is at rest for a long time and you can eat whenever you want to as there is no hurry in sleeping or waking up. All this can affect your natural sleeping rhythms.
2. Social-Distancing and Isolation
People who are living alone and social-distancing are more prone to the feeling of anxiety and depression. The pandemic also can raise the crisis for the people who are already suffering from depression.
3. Excess Screen Time
From working from home to binge-watching our favourite shows on the laptop for hours. This excess screen time can suppress the natural way our brain works as electronic devices do have clear and evident effects on our sleeping pattern. Your gadgets also suppress the production of melatonin in our body, a hormone that induces sleep.
4. Anxiety and Worry
Coronavirus is a situation that never has occurred before. It has affected thousands of people and it does not have any antidote at the minute. This can make anyone feel anxious or worried. If you think about it too much, then it is going to affect your mental health and sleeping pattern.
Now, we know the causes of the problem, here comes the turn of the solutions; the tips and changes that you can do to fix your affected sleeping pattern.
Tips to Correct Your Lockdown Sleep-Cycle
Like it or not, we have to stay indoors and protect everyone out there. So, either you can stress over the fact that you are stuck inside or can get over it with wit and practicality, for a smooth sleeping routine and improved mental health.
1. You Need a New Routine
Yes! We know. Everyone might be suggesting you FOLLOW A ROUTINE. But, here is the twist. If your older routine isn't working for you, then create a new one. Fix a 'lockdown routine’. Add recreational activities to that. Short breaks from your home-office and eat food before sunset.
2. Mind Your Caffeine
Coffees will keep you awake. The strong caffeine content in some drinks will alter your sleeping routine so try to only have coffee before noon only, otherwise it can severely affect your sleeping pattern.
3. Reserve Bed To Sleep
If possible, try not to be in your bed the whole day. Create a station for your work-from-home tasks and keep your bed free until you have to sleep. This will help your body to understand the change of environment and adjust accordingly.
4. Skip Naps
Naps are mandatory if it’s a holiday. But, since we are not vacationing, we need to skip the afternoon naps to allow your mind to sleep soundly at night. Remember, we do not need that much resting time now.
5. Eat Light Food
Be it Paani-puri, Chole-Bhature or the crispy samosas, we are trying them all at home. Cravings need to be satisfied somehow. Do not hesitate to enjoy cooking at home with your kids and family but, try to control that the food does not go overboard. We are at home all the time. Our activities are reduced, and our body can react to create acid reflux and gastric anxiety before sleep.
6. Do Some Exercise
We always should have a habit of exercising, walking or any kind of work-out. But, for the time, create a time slot during the morning or in the evening to do some aerobic exercises, yoga and meditation to flex your body and calm your mind.
7. Avoid Watching News Before Sleeping
The world is going through a lot and we cannot ignore that. We can do our bit by maintaining social-distancing and staying at home. But, no kind of stress and worry will make it better. If you are into a habit of watching the news before bedtime, then try to avoid it. You can take all day for the latest updates, but keep the time before you go to sleep for keeping calm.
These above tips are supposed to be very effective for your disturbed sleeping routine during the lockdown. Try not to stick to your screen the whole time, and keep connected to your dear one through phone if you live alone.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can say that good maintained physical and mental health can fix a lot of problems. A sound sleep is as important as a good workout and a healthy diet. It will give you time to repair everything that has been going on in the world. So, stay focused on that to keep yourself sane and healthy.
