Sunlight and light exposure helps keep your circadian rhythm on schedule.”Īnd with many of us still in work-from-home situations, she says, some people might have different hours and sleep in. “Being at home more can disrupt the light-based cues for wakefulness. Drerup says. “Sheltering in place, homeschooling, avoiding large gatherings and public places, wearing a mask and not being able to do ‘normal’ activities has contributed to this experience.”īeing stuck in our houses more can also cause complications in our sleeping patterns, she adds. “We are experiencing pandemic fatigue, or COVID burnout, which can negatively impact sleep,” Dr. That lack of expiration date also compounds the sleep disruptions you experienced last year. “Our normal routines and level of daily activity have been disrupted and this has likely negatively impacted sleep for many people.”īut not only is the pandemic a giant stressor for many people, but it’s also created new levels of uncertainty since there’s no ending on the horizon. “The increase in sleep disturbances is due to increased stress and anxiety that the pandemic has brought on, including the impact of the uncertainty and the constant barrage of information we are exposed to at this time,” says Dr. ![]() ![]() during the first five months of 2020 - an increase of 58% over the same duration in the previous three years. Drerup. “In the United Kingdom, a study published last year showed that the number of people experiencing insomnia increased from 1 in 6 to 1 in 4, while insomnia rates in China rose from 14.6% to 20% during the peak lockdown period.” According to a study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, there were 2.77 million Google searches for “insomnia” in the U.S. “Increase in sleep issues, specifically insomnia, has been shown to be a concern all over the world,” says Dr. If you’re having trouble sleeping because of the pandemic, you’re not alone. Indeed, stress levels skyrocketed during the pandemic for many reasons, including loneliness, economic hardships, juggling work and school, and navigating parenting challenges. “And that is even further complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that’s consumed our lives for much of the last few years.” “Stress impacts every area of our life so, of course, it’s going to impact sleep,” she adds. “Any type of stress is often the main trigger for insomnia, difficulty falling asleep or waking up and having an inability to return to sleep,” says Dr. ![]() You’re probably not surprised to hear that sleep troubles and the coronavirus go hand-in-hand - and that stress and sleep don’t mix. “Coronasomnia, or covidsomnia, is the term to describe sleep problems related to stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Dr. We talked to behavioral sleep medicine psychologist Michelle Drerup, PsyD, about the issues surrounding COVID insomnia, the effects on your health and what you can do to combat the issue and increase those necessary hours of sleep. Stress-related insomnia due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is definitely a thing, and it even has a name: coronasomnia.Īs you might expect, coronasomnia is more complicated than typical stress-related sleeplessness because it’s not just about the virus it’s also about everything else that’s changed because of the virus. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
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