Quarantine may mean more free time to do the things we want. But for some, this period drives our anxieties up making it difficult to calm down and get some sleep at night. Don’t worry. You are definitely not alone. People around the world are affected by this pandemic and just like you, they are finding different ways to cope in this difficult situation.

If you find yourself tossing and turning during bed time, here are some tips that can help.

Put the phone away

You may be looking at your phone for more hours than usual during this quarantine. It’s understandable, you’re bored. However, there should be a cut-off time for when to put it down, especially at night.

Make it a point to hide your phone hours before bed time. The blue light that your screen emits keeps you awake for longer, not to mention, the news that you’re reading is probably causing you unwanted stress.

Prep your bed

Your bed should be as comfortable as possible. This means having clean sheets, well-fluffed pillows, and proper back support. If you find it difficult to sleep in your bed, you might want to buy a new comfortable mattress.

It may be impossible to do that now. Thankfully, essential services such as deliveries are still in operation right now. You can have specific items, even a mattress, delivered right at your door.

Build a bedtime routine

If you don’t have a sleep routine, now is the time to create a solid one that you will be keeping beyond this pandemic. It can be as simple as drinking chamomile tea or reading a book before going to bed. Over time, you can add in other habits to your routine to make it more effective such as:

• Dimming the lights
• Cooling the room
• Doing yoga stretches
• Taking a hot bath
• Performing your skincare steps
• Listening to calming music

Creating some structure in your life will be greatly helpful especially during this uncertain time.

Keep yourself busy

It may seem counter-intuitive but hear us out. By keeping yourself occupied for the rest of the day, you avoid unnecessary hour-long naps in the afternoon that could be keeping you up at night. Even if you can’t go outdoors, you can still do productive and entertaining tasks in your home such as:

• Do a deep clean of each room
• Clean the yard
• Do some gardening
• Learn a new recipe
• Learn a new skill
• Do a DIY project with the kids
• Read the books in your shelves and tablet
• Play board games

Use mindfulness tools

There’s a host of mindfulness tools online that you can use whether it’s meditation classes, relaxation apps, breathing guides, etc. It can be easy to go through the day mindlessly whether it’s constantly snacking on food in the fridge, staring at your phone for hours, or binging on shows all day. These mindfulness tools help reduce your stress and avoid short-term fixes that could be affecting your sleep.

Journal

We live in an uncertain time and no one really knows how this is all going to turn out. The good news is that we are all in this together. We live in a unique time in history and thankfully, we are able to share our experiences digitally with friends and family, even if we’re separated physically due to the virus.

Now is the perfect time to use your journal. Write down everything that’s happening around you and in you –How are your neighbors dealing with this situation? How does it feel like going out to buy groceries? What precautionary measures are you taking? What activities are you doing to pass the time? These are prompts you can answer and write in your journal.

Writing it all down can help calm your mind and give you some perspective. Do this practice before bedtime as a way to brain dump. It allows you to empty your mind, giving way for a more relaxing sleep.

Which of these tips did you find the most useful? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

Alaska Sleep Clinic is the ONLY sleep clinic in the state of Alaska that does Telemedicine.

During this critical time when social distancing is being recommended and encouraged by the US Government and the World Health Organization, your sleep and over-all health remains our top priority. Telemedicine is an amazing way to provide and receive health care anytime, anywhere. It represents the ultimate healthcare tool to provide near hospital-level monitoring and response in the comfort of our patient’s home or any other location.