According to studies by the Spanish Sleep Society (SES, for its Spanish acronym), some aspects of isolation have an impact on the quantity and quality of sleep, such as less exposure to natural light, reduced physical activity, and loss of daily routines, altering our biological clock, resulting in poor quality sleep and greater fatigue during the day. Isolation can generate anxiety and a feeling of lack of control of the situation, which produces:
- Greater difficulty falling asleep.
- Continually waking up at night.
- Worse quality of sleep.
- Fewer total hours of sleep.
To avoid insomnia during this stage of isolation:
- Follow some daily routines to set your internal clock, that is, get up and go to bed at the same time, set regular times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, eat healthy, hydrate continuously, and do not stay in pajamas during the day.
- Expose yourself to natural light for at least two hours in the morning. Depending on the characteristics and size of each house, you can go out to the balcony or terrace, have breakfast by the window. Try to be in rooms with natural light.
- At night, avoid mobile phones and tablets as much as possible because their light confuses your internal clock.
- Get regular physical exercise at home, preferably in the morning.
- Avoid daytime naps, if you do, try to keep them short and not take them too late.
- Avoid watching or reading the news just before going to bed, better listen to relaxing music.
- Write how you feel, what emotions you felt during the day, this will help you have more controlled and orderly thoughts.
- Limit tobacco, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages.
- Avoid eating food 30 minutes before going to bed.
- Use the bed only to sleep, never work in your bedroom and less at night.
- Integrate breathing techniques that teach you to relax.
- Adopt a relaxation routine at the end of the day that allows you to unwind.
Fuentes:
Sociedad Española de Sueño.
Cognitive NeuroLab.
Instituto del Sueño.
