{"id":5397,"date":"2020-05-23T22:41:37","date_gmt":"2020-05-23T17:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mymedicplus.com\/news\/?p=5397"},"modified":"2021-03-31T00:53:27","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T19:23:27","slug":"is-anxiety-over-coronavirus-leading-you-to-insomnia-heres-what-two-local-behavioral-health-consultants-recommend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedicplus.com\/blog\/is-anxiety-over-coronavirus-leading-you-to-insomnia-heres-what-two-local-behavioral-health-consultants-recommend\/","title":{"rendered":"Is anxiety over coronavirus leading you to insomnia? Here\u2019s what two local behavioral health consultants recommend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

source:- lancasteronline<\/p>\n

From social distancing and school closures to quarantines and working from home, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes to daily routines for people of all ages. To make matters worse, you are having problems falling asleep or staying asleep at night.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re not alone, say Leslie Book and Alex Pineda, behavioral health consultants with the Lancaster Health Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cExperiencing an event of this magnitude has raised the levels of anxiety in people who are worried about different issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and even some that pre-dated this pandemic,\u201d Pineda says.<\/p>\n

Book agrees. \u201cEven people who aren\u2019t typically anxious are now saying that their minds are so busy that they can\u2019t turn them off to go to sleep,\u201d she says. \u201cThey wake up two hours later and are instantly thinking about the news or about their situation, and they just can\u2019t shut it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Physical and mental health<\/strong><\/h4>\n

People with insomnia have greater levels of depression and anxiety than those who sleep normally. They are 10 times as likely to have clinical depression and 17 times as likely to have clinical anxiety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more a person experiences insomnia and the more frequently they wake at night as a result, the higher the chances are of developing depression,\u201d Book says. \u201cHowever, it is not only mental health that suffers but also our physical health. Medical conditions may also be negatively affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sleep is a natural immune booster, so getting a good night\u2019s sleep is one of the best ways we can improve our immunity and defend against viruses and disease.<\/p>\n

How can someone manage insomnia when they can\u2019t take their mind off COVID-19?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re spending more time on your screens looking at news updates, reading COVID-19 advice, and staying connected to family and friends, it might become even more difficult to fall asleep because the blue light from screens tells your brain to stop producing the sleep hormone melatonin.<\/p>\n

Try to get into a rhythm where it\u2019s light during the day and dark at night, to help set your nighttime circadian rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a person can do is try to stop watching the news all together at least once a week, and not be on social media at least an hour before bedtime. Be very thoughtful about what you\u2019re checking and why you\u2019re checking it. At night, find a way to wind down,\u201d Book says.<\/p>\n

Too many sleepless nights can aggravate both physical and mental health problems. However, there are steps you can take to improve your sleep during this time. Book and Pineda suggest the following:<\/p>\n