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Beauty & Health

Covid-19 Can Cause Bad Dreams And Insomnia. Here’s How To Sleep Better

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Beauty & Health

Covid-19 Can Cause Bad Dreams And Insomnia. Here’s How To Sleep Better

You may not realise it, but Covid-19 could be the cause of your disturbed sleep.

July 28, 2020
Is Covid-19 Causing You Bad Dreams And Insomnia? Here Are 14 Ways To Sleep Better

Photo: Ketut Subiyanto/Canva

Sleep is sometimes the only reprieve we get when times are tough in our waking lives. But if you’ve been riddled with more strange or bad dreams lately, you’d be relieved to know that you’re not alone – and the culprit is ever so present, and from our waking lives. It turns out that concerns over the coronavirus pandemic have found their way into people’s dreams, a development that psychologists say is common around traumatic events.

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Covid-19 Could Be A Conscious Or Subconscious Stressor In Your Life

Dr Lim Li Ling, a neurologist at the Singapore Neurology and Sleep Centre in Gleneagles Medical Centre, said dreams may reflect the conscious or subconscious stressors, and fears and issues people experience in their waking hours.

“These underlying fears may surface during sleep as part of their dreams or nightmares. People who experience traumatic or catastrophic events such as Covid-19 may develop psychological symptoms such as fear, anxiety and depression.

“As a result, distressing or vivid dreams may be a manifestation of these psychological disturbances,” said Dr Lim, adding that she has seen older patients who have generalised anxiety and poor sleep due to fears of the pandemic and the frustration of having to stay at home.

This translation of a traumatic experience into dreams was noted in May by Dr Deirdre Barrett, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School’s department of psychiatry.

While the content and meaning of dreams are not well understood, Dr Lim said during periods of stress, there may be symptoms such as fear, anxiety, depression or exhaustion which lead to a hyper-arousal state mentally. This, in turn, prevents deep and restful sleep, causing one to wake up feeling exhausted.

How Your Limbic System Affects Your Dreams

Dr Kenny Pang, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Asia Sleep Centre, said it is believed that during a stressful period in a person’s life, the emotional centre of the brain, called the limbic system, is stimulated and very active.

“The limbic system retains some memory of the event. This same area of the brain is also very much involved in the dreaming processes at night. Hence, some scientists believe that after a very stressful period of one’s life, one might have dreams of the events that had occurred previously,” said Dr Pang, who is the founding member of the International Sleep Surgical Society, as well as a member of the World Sleep Society and the Singapore Sleep Society.

The myth of “the more I dream, the more tired I am” is not true, he added.

“In general, dream sleep is good for the brain. It is a period of rejuvenation and memory rebuilding. The more we dream, the more refreshed we are in the morning.”

Practising Good Sleep Hygiene To Cope With Sleep Disorders

However, disturbing dreams can cause sleep fragmentation, which may lead to poor sleep quality, said Dr Pang.

Meanwhile, Dr Mark Toh, consultant clinical psychologist at Promises Healthcare, says insomnia is a common occurrence for those who have difficulty sleeping because of worries about employment or their future.

To cope with this, he advises people to practise good sleep hygiene such as limiting daytime naps to 30 minutes, avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine before bedtime, and doing regular exercises to promote good-quality sleep.

“It is important at this time of disruption and uncertainty during a pandemic that we establish goals to maintain good physical and mental health, consistent with building our resilience to cope with the unrelenting demands of living effectively in the present and in the future,” said Dr Toh.

So What Are The Do’s And Don’ts?

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/covid-19-causing-bad-dreams-insomnia-sleep/
Covid-19 Can Cause Bad Dreams And Insomnia. Here's How To Sleep Better
DO: Go to bed at the same time each day.
image

This will allow your mind and body a chance to rest regularly and at a fixed scheduled time. Avoid tricking your body as it is sensitive to light exposure and changes in times.

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DO: Get regular exercise each day, preferably in the morning.
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There is good evidence regular exercise improves restful sleep. This includes stretching, aerobic exercise, meditation and yoga.

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DO: Get regular exposure to outdoor or bright lights in the day.
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This allows the mind and body to be aware of day and night, as melatonin is produced during the night.

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DO: Keep the temperature in the bedroom cool and comfortable.
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You will not be able to sleep well if you are perspiring. It should not be too cold as well.

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DO: Keep the bedroom quiet when asleep, as a noisy environment might keep you awake.
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Your bed partner should preferably not be a snorer. The spouse of a snorer has been shown to sleep an average of two hours less in terms of quantity when compared with one whose bed partner does not snore.

Andrea Piacquadio/Canva
DO: Keep the bedroom dark enough to facilitate sleep.
image

Melatonin levels in the blood start to rise by about 9 to 10pm and peaks by 1 to 2am. It helps to have a dark environment for sleeping.

cottonbro/Canva
DO: Keep your feet and hands warm.
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Wear warm socks, mittens or gloves to bed.

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DON'T: Exercise three to four hours before going to bed.
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The heart rate and adrenaline levels in the blood needs some time to slow down.

Polina Tankilevitch/Canva
DON'T: Engage in stimulating activity just before bed.
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This includes playing a competitive game, watching an exciting show or movie, or having an important or heated discussion with a loved one.

You should also avoid surfing the Internet just before sleeping.

freestocks.org/Canva
DON'T: Have caffeine such as coffee, tea, soda and chocolate in the evening.
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They contain stimulants that might keep you awake at night.

Snapwire/Canva
DON'T: Read or watch television in bed.
image

The bed is meant only for sleep and sex.

Andrea Piacquadio/Canva
DON'T: Go to bed too hungry or too full.
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You will not be able to sleep when you are hungry, as gastric pain might keep you awake. On the other hand, a full stomach will promote reflux disease and cause chest discomfort.

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DON'T: Take daytime naps if you have any form of insomnia or sleeplessness.
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The guilt of sleeping in the afternoon may keep you up at night.

Ketut Subiyanto/Canva
DON'T: Command yourself to go to sleep.
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This only makes your mind and body more alert.

Text: Amrita Kaur/The Straits Times

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cottonbro/Canva
  • TAGS:
  • bad dreams
  • coronavirus
  • covid-19
  • disturbed sleep
  • insomnia
  • nightmares
  • pandemic
  • sleep disorders
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