Sandhya Govind
Auckland, September 23, 2021
Photo by Brauns for Getty Images (from thehealthy.com)
The Covid‐19 pandemic and the resultant anxiety caused by uncertainty, fear of the disease periodic lockdowns and loss of employment and income, has led to an unprecedented disruption to the sleeping habits of millions of people all over the world.
Sleep plays a crucial role in various physiological, immunological and metabolic functions in our body, and regardless of age or gender, lack of sleep and poor sleep quality can cause considerable damage to a person’s health.
A lack of sleep and an irregular sleep routine affects people.
All of us have an inbuilt biological clock called the Circadian Clock.
The slumbering effect of dusk
This Circadian Clock follows a 24-hour pattern of light and dark called The Circadian Rhythm, which helps time our sleep and waking patterns. As twilight approaches, our body temperature and metabolism are lowered, blood pressure drops, there is a dip in our alertness and energy levels, and our levels of the hormone melatonin, which plays an important role in initiating and maintaining sleep, rise dramatically.
In contrast, before dawn, our metabolic rate increases and the levels of melatonin start falling to facilitate increased activity when we wake up.
One of the many things that happen to our bodies at night is that levels of the hormone leptin, which helps control hunger, go up. Therefore, we do not feel hungry.
We fast naturally every night, which is why our first meal in the morning is called ‘breakfast.’ Research has shown that sleep disruption and turning on lights lowers leptin levels which makes us hungry in the middle of the night.
This is one of the main contributors to obesity.
Short-term disruption to The Circadian Rhythm caused by irregular sleeping habits can negatively affect memory, problem solving skills, emotional responses and attention span, putting a person at greater risk of having an accident. And in the long term, it can increase the risk of heart disease, infection, cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Disruption of routine
Unfortunately for many of us, extended periods of being in lockdown has disrupted our normal routines.
Maintaining a stable sleep schedule that focuses on our natural sleep-wake cycle, making the bedroom comfortable and free of disturbances, and inculcating healthy habits during the day can all contribute to good sleep hygiene that will help us improve both the quality and quantity of our sleep.
Good sleep hygiene practices can include the following factors:
Bedroom Hygiene
Avoid turning on electronic devices at night. The bright blue light emitted by electronic devices as well as fluorescent and LED lights at night is similar to the light emitted by the sun. This fools the body into thinking that it is daytime. Thus, the levels of melatonin in the body are lowered, preventing us from falling asleep easily. Use warm yellow toned lightbulbs, as this type of light is similar to the light from a candle which does not affect the body as much. Specialty glasses with anti-blue light lens can reduce the melatonin-suppressing effects of blue light
If necessary, use a regular alarm clock to wake you up in the mornings instead of keeping your mobile phone next to your bed with the alarm on. Blackout curtains or a sleep mask over your eyes can block light and prevent it from interfering with your sleep. Keep the bedroom as quiet as possible. If you cannot eliminate noise, use earplugs or headphones to drown out disturbing sounds.
If you have been in bed for around 20 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and do something relaxing like listening to music or reading a book in low light (a real book, not on a device) before returning to bed.
Regular Habits
Since both adults and children are working and studying from home, this may play havoc with normal routines. Identify a target bedtime, and also give yourself some time to wind down and get ready for sleep. Have a fixed wake-up time and try to wake up at that same time every morning without the help of an alarm. Since our body clock is regulated by exposure to sunlight, try to spend some time outdoors, preferably early in the day, or open windows or blinds to let in natural light.
Try to avoid taking a nap, However, if you are having trouble sleeping well at night and need to catch up on your sleep during the day, try to take a nap for about 20 minutes in the early afternoon and not later.
Daytime Routine
Regular exercise can have a positive effect on sleep. However, intense exercise one hour before bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep and also reduce sleep quality.
Avoid caffeine afternoon as it is a stimulant and could keep you from falling asleep at night
Avoid large meals, heavy snacks or alcohol 2-3 hours before bed. Eating just before going to sleep causes your blood sugar to go up more than in the morning and results in more fat concentration leading to obesity.
There are numerous herbs and supplements that are used in naturopathy to help reduce anxiety and help people sleep better. However, these, along with dietary recommendations, can be prescribed only after a comprehensive and in-depth study of each person’s case.
If you find that your sleep problems are just not improving or getting worse, and affecting your health and wellbeing, then make sure you consult a health care professional.
Sandhya Govind is a qualified and trained Naturopath and runs the ‘Sandhya’s Naturopathy Clinic,’ an integrated Natural Medicine facility, which helps people rediscover optimal health, radiance and vitality naturally. She provides holistic support including Herbal Medicine, Supplements, Health Coaching, Diet Advice and Mineral Therapy. Ms Govind also creates Crossword and Word Search puzzles for Indian Newslink Digital Edition every fortnight. She can be contacted on 021-0709243. Email: sandhyanaturopathy@gmail.com
