COVID-19 Home Isolation – Sleep

Sleep is key to both preventing and recovering from infections and viruses.  Sleep also helps to maintain mood, a healthy body weight, it helps the brain and body recover, it reduces both stress and the risk of chronic diseases (such as heart disease or diabetes). Sleep is considered essential to living a long and healthy life.

As we grow older, the amount of sleep we require begins to decrease, but most people still fail to get the amount they need.

For some in home isolation it will be a welcomed opportunity to organise the daily routine in a way that complements the body’s natural rhythm; some may prefer earlier nights to wake up sooner and others will prefer a slow start to the day.

For others, home isolation will create more anxiety than normal, changes to regular work/life routines and potentially lower exposure to natural light will further interfere with sleep cycle.

If you don’t get enough sleep, relationships are affected, decision-making is impaired, and infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced, thus making you more likely to get sick.

Tips for good night sleep include:

• Keeping a normal routine throughout the day (ensuring you protect sleep time and try to get around the same time every day).
• Eating meals around the same time each day
• Remaining physically active and, if you are an adult, avoid lengthy naps during the day.
• Limiting media exposure, try using official websites / tv channels only
• Avoiding screen time for around an hour before going to bed
• Avoiding caffeine at least six hours before bedtime
• Keeping the bedroom cool, well ventilated, and dark (try dimming the lights a while before going to sleep)
• Creating time to unwind (relaxing, watching, listening or reading nothing to do with COVID-19)
• Avoiding falling asleep with the television on