Even though sleep deprivation is not categorised as a medical condition, it normally indicates pre-existing illnesses or life circumstances. It also leads to an increased risk of chronic conditions, namely high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and frequent mental distress. There are many reasons why we are not getting enough sleep, especially in 2021. Among them are the pandemic and the stress that comes with it, which results in people coping with the outbreak in unhealthy ways, including excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and neglecting healthy sleeping habits.
How the Pandemic Affects Our Sleep
Insomnia has always been a persisting issue even before the outbreak. With the current pandemic, however, physical and mental health has further worsened on a global scale. The emergence of “coronasomnia” caused by pandemic-related stress at the backdrop of economic devastation, movement restrictions and fear of infection has normalised sleep deprivation. It can be for days or weeks of erratic sleep patterns, resulting in more stress as there would be an increase in the body’s production of cortisol or “the stress hormone”1. According to a study, insomnia causes our body to secrete more cortisol during the day in an effort to stimulate alertness2.
Not only does prolonged lack of sleep lead to a host of chronic illnesses, but it also affects our productivity at work and towards our personal goals. It is easy to stay idle during the pandemic due to heightened stress and abrupt disruptions in our usual routines. If we allow ourselves to be unproductive long-term, feelings of irritability, anxiety and depression will arise. As a result, remaining in this negative state of mind may keep us awake at night which leaves us exhausted the next day. Sleep
How to Establish Healthy Sleeping Habits During the Pandemic
Write Down Your Sleep Disruptors
Knowing how to sleep well begins with identifying your sleep disruptors. Each person has their own challenges and fears in the midst of the outbreak. It can be binge-watching on Netflix past bedtime or repeatedly thinking of a troubling thought. Whatever activity puts a halt in your sleep, write each of them down. That way, you can visually see the root causes of your insomnia and implement the right solutions for better night sleep.
Set a Pre-Bedtime Ritual
Sleeping well requires preparation, and the best way to prepare for a restful sleep is to be mindful of what you do earlier. Apart from tossing and turning on your bed, a more helpful approach to achieving healthy sleep is to find relaxing, non-vigorous activities such as reading a book, meditating, listening to light music and others. Activities that unwind you are ideal as pre-bedtime rituals.
Make Exercise a Compulsory Activity
Often, busy individuals perceive exercising as something optional. In reality, the muscles, ligaments and bones in our body need movement. The pandemic has made us stay longer at home, but indoor workouts are most certainly doable. It can be as simple as doing jumping jacks, stretching exercises or lifting heavy bottles as dumbbells. The idea is to break up sitting time with body movements for better blood circulation and activating underused muscles.
Practice Mindful Eating and Drinking
We are what we eat (and drink). If we eat fast food on a daily basis, chances are our body will feel a sense of fatigue and discomfort due to the lack of nutrients our body needs. When we experience this during the day, naturally it will lead to drowsiness and finally taking involuntary day naps. At night, we will become wide awake. Apart from that, drinking caffeinated beverages like alcohol, coffee and certain types of tea will undermine your efforts to kickstart healthy sleeping habits.
Turn Off Screens Before Bed
With the pandemic movement restriction protocols in place, we are left to our electronic devices to keep us entertain at home. Binge-watching and being on social media to the wee hours is a common phenomenon for children and adults alike, leaving the whole family deprived of sleep. One useful way of convincing people to switch off their smartphones and television sets before bedtime is to replace screen time with off-screen activities that are just as stimulating, or if not, more exciting to our human senses. To further foolproof your sleep, Getha’s Compass Series feature mattresses designed with cutting edge Biocare technology that provides electromagnetic radiation shielding from the electronic devices around you.
Getha’s “Time to Wake Up” Concept
Sleep plays a huge role in our physical and mental health. Without a healthy sleep regimen, our body cannot function at its optimum level. It is high time we take our sleep hygiene seriously especially during this stay-at-home period. Good quality sleep can strengthen our immune system as well as improving our mood.
In line with the goal to establish healthy sleep for everyone, Getha has announced the Grand Launch of Malaysia’s only radiation protection mattress — the Getha Compass Collection.
The mattress collection comprises three models, namely Getha Compass Gold 100, Getha Compass Green and Getha Compass Star. The unique feature of the Getha Compass Collection is the radiation protection technology that protects your sleep from modern-day electronic devices. This protection ensures that our body can focus to recharge during our sleep and build a stronger immune system.
For more information on our grand launch and innovative mattresses, contact our Getha team today!
Speak to our Sleep Consultants
Sources:
1.https://www.everydayhealth.com/conditions/what-happens-when-you-dont-sleep-days/
2.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25905298/
