Say Goodnight to Your Pandemic Insomnia With These 6 Tips From a Sleep Doctor

From wellandgood.com

It’s been more than three months since Los Angeles, where I live, locked down to help prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It’s also been three months since I’ve had a good night’s sleep without pharmaceutical intervention. I don’t think my pandemic insomnia is a coincidence, either—and a sleep doctor agrees.

Behavioural sleep-medicine specialist Shelby Harris, PsyD, author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, says many people began having trouble with their sleep when the pandemic hit. She says this was likely initially due to an increase in stress. “When stress happens, our bodies have a natural reaction to not sleep,” Dr. Harris says. “Think about fight or flight—that’s basically what our bodies are doing. They look at [the pandemic] like it’s a lion [about to attack] and as a result, we get hyper-vigilant and have trouble sleeping.” 

After a few weeks, Dr. Harris says a percentage of these people returned to their typical sleep patterns (vivid dreams aside, which she says are disproportionately common right now); however, there remains a significant subset of individuals for whom sleep has not normalized. This continued disruption, Dr. Harris says, has less to do with anxiety and more to do with routine. “Yes, there are stressors, but there are also behavioural changes,” she explains.

For example, many of us have taken to staring at screens—TV, phone, etc.—later and later into the evenings. Much of this media consumption involves news or social media, too, which causes our minds to race and makes it harder to fall asleep. As a result, our actual bedtime gets pushed back, which can then delay wakeup times, as well. “You’re sleeping in in the morning trying to catch up for lost sleep at night because you don’t have to necessarily get up to go to work at the same time as you used to,” she says. Rising later then makes it more difficult to go to bed on time, and the cycle continues.

Failure to sleep at night may also be leading to daytime naps and/or increased reliance on coffee, neither of which are particularly helpful when it comes to falling asleep at night. A decrease in exercise—whether due to sleepiness from pandemic insomnia itself or adopting a more sedentary lifestyle as a result of staying home more to reduce the spread of COVID-19—may also be exacerbating pandemic insomnia. And then there’s self-medication in order to aid sleep via alcohol, cannabis, and over-the-counter or prescription meds.

6 sleep-doctor-approved for saying goodnight to your pandemic insomnia

1. Return to routine

“Be consistent with bedtimes and wake times—wake time is really key,” Dr. Harris says. And while it might feel nice not to have to use an alarm for the first time in years, she strongly recommends you set one regardless. Then, get up when it goes off, no matter how tired you are.

2. Re-think your news consumption

News can be seriously anxiety-inducing, and anxiety is not a friend to sleep. So, Dr. Harris says you might want to reconsider how and when you dig into what’s happening in the world.

“I encourage people to think about what they want to get out of the news,” she says. “If you just want to know specific things, be thoughtful about what news source you’re visiting and limit it to 15 to 20 minutes earlier in the day, and that’s it.”

3. Adopt a no-tech-in-the-bedroom rule

Try to power down your screens in advance of bedtime, and definitely don’t bring tech with you into the room with you—whether it’s a phone to scroll on or a TV to watch. If you’ve gotten used to falling asleep to the TV, Dr. Harris recommends you taper yourself off by switching to radio (or a podcast) first, then to white noise, and eventually to nothing.

4. Get light exposure first thing in the a.m.

“We’re meant to have light during the day and darkness at night,” Dr. Harris says. “It’s really that simple, and sometimes we overthink it.” Exposing yourself to natural light first thing in the morning helps to reduce the amount of melatonin your brain produces, which will help you feel less sleepy. “Open the shades, eat breakfast in the light,” Dr. Harris says.

On the flip side of this, you want to make sure you’re not exposing yourself to too much artificial light at night. Turn off overheads in favour of lamps and again, limit your screen exposure.

5. Exercise 4 to 6 hours before bed

The bodies of good sleepers tend to naturally drop in temperature in the hours before sleep, Dr. Harris explains. You can help your body approximate this response by exercising four to six hours before bed, which will raise your temperature temporarily and then allow it to drop in time for sleep.

Dr. Harris notes that this schedule isn’t possible for everyone and that she herself is a morning exerciser. Doing so won’t hurt your sleep—it just also won’t necessarily help it.

6. Reconsider your supplements

Dr. Harris says the goal should really should be to avoid taking any supplements for sleep, simply because most are under-studied. Besides, the gold standard for insomnia treatment, she says, is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), aka suggestions one through five outlined above. “Consistency is really what helps the most,” she adds.

https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/insomnia-causes-pandemic/

Are you sleeping right?

From dailypioneer.com

Our sleep patterns have been compromised by lockdown-induced anxieties. Experts advise we follow a good day and night routine, exercise adequately and avoid excess coffee and alcohol.

With all that has been happening around the world, everybody is going through a lot of stress these days. Anxiety levels are on the rise, too. With an aim to analyse sleep patterns during the lockdown, a sleep monitoring device company has studied sleep of over 382 people (14,483 sleeps recorded over 10 weeks) belonging to the age group of 10 to 85 years.

Various parameters such as sleep duration, sleeping time, wake up time and stress levels were monitored. Dr Manvir Bhatia, sleep expert shared, “During this time, I have seen more than 100 patients (teleconsultation) of all ages and genders with sleep complaints. This has resulted in the heaviness of head during the day, increased lethargy, poor productivity and a low mood. These problems appeared new in some patients and some who already had insomnia were doing much worse during this period. As symptoms of anxiety, a few also had complaints of palpitations and difficulty in breathing just before falling asleep. The advice to everyone is to make sure you follow a good day and night routine, adequate exercise, avoid excess use of caffeine and alcohol, and have a relaxing pre-bedtime routine. If the problems persist then please seek help and do not self medicate.”

Following were the parameters explained in detail:

Sleep duration: Time period where the person is actually sleeping (in N1, N2, N3, REM stage of the sleep cycle). Sleep duration during lockdown didn’t deviate much and the median sleep duration continued to remain 430 minutes. For people between 35 to 45 years, median sleep duration increased nearly by 60 minutes and this was particularly found among men.

Sleep time: Sleep onset time, another parameter, especially in the age group of 10 to 45 years had increased by almost 30 minutes. There was a gender disparity when it comes to sleep time. Women’s sleep time increased by nearly 90 minutes. However, for men, it increased only by 20 minutes. Women in the 18 to 45 age-group are staying up 90 minutes more late than usual. Earlier, 40 per cent of people used to sleep before 12 am and during lockdown, only 36 per cent of people are sleeping before 12 am.

Wake up time: Wake up time has increased by 30 minutes across all age groups. However, between 18 to 45 years of age, the wake up time has increased by 70 minutes. While median wake up time for women increased by more than 90 minutes (from 7.30 am to 8.45 am), for males, it increased by 60 minutes (from 7.45 am to 8.45 am). This is a big shift in the circadian rhythm (or biological clock) that governs the hormone cycle in our body. Once this cycle is off, we are at a higher risk of lifestyle disorders such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders. Earlier, 53 per cent of people used to wake up after 8 am and during the lockdown, 49 per cent of people are waking up after 8 am.

Time taken to fall asleep: It’s the time period elapsed between the person going to bed and falling asleep. The time taken to fall asleep has gradually increased during the lockdown and has doubled during the first week of May. It has been witnessed across all age groups. Time taken to fall asleep is directly linked to insomnia, which in turn, is highly co-morbid with depression. Growing anxiety because of the lockdown and financial insecurity might be the leading reasons for this increase in the time to fall asleep.

Stress levels: Autonomous nervous system activity measured through heart rate variability: There wasn’t any significant change in the stress levels of people witnessed. Even though the lockdown has changed people’s routine, the stress levels for them have remained the same.

Naps: Initially, the number of naps increased, however, now a dip has been witnessed once the lockdown started to open up.

(The survey is conducted by Dozee.)

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/vivacity/are-you-sleeping-right-.html

The real reasons you experience insomnia during pregnancy

From thelist.com

When you get pregnant, you know that there are certain things from your pre-pregnancy life that are not going to be your reality for the next nine months. Like raw sushi. And hard liquor. And certainly by month six or seven, having what people refer to as a "waist." What you don't necessarily expect to lose is the ability to sleep. But indeed, pregnancy insomnia affects 44.2 percent of pregnant women, according to study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. So what gives?

Insomnia is poor or inadequate sleep, characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep — and if you do sleep, not feeling well-rested when you wake up (via Medical News Today). That condition certainly matches the experience that one mom-to-be described on What to Expect: "This entire week I've been waking up in the middle of the night and I just lay there with my eyes closed. Then, I doze in and out. I have migraines now, and I think it's because I'm not getting enough sleep!" So, why is it that being pregnant means getting a decent night's sleep is a pipe dream?
     
   Discomfort and anxiety may be behind your insomnia

                                                                           Shutterstock

If you're pregnant, there's actually not just one reason why you can't sleep peacefully at night. Of course, all of those symptoms of pregnancy that haunt you during the day, such as back pain, heartburn, and needing to pee constantly — not to mention existing with a watermelon-sized growth tightening the skin on your abdomen — will make it hard to sleep comfortably (via the American Pregnancy Association). More surprisingly, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea (even if you don't normally have it) also affect many pregnant women and keep them up at night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. As always, be sure to speak with your doctor if you're concerned about any of these symptoms.

Let's also not downplay anxiety. When it's 3:27 a.m., how can you peacefully drift off to bed when you're not sure whether Esther sounds like the name of a very strong woman, as you believe — or like a fungal growth (your partner's theory). And what if you registered for the wrong brand of baby stroller?

Fortunately, lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Meditating and exercise can help calm a worried brain, and making sure you're comfortable — the right clothes, the right room temperature, the right pillows — can help quite a bit (via Healthline). These changes to improve your sleep will come in handy in a few months, when you've got an all-night-party animal who has zero interest in getting tucked in at night.

https://www.thelist.com/210258/the-truth-about-being-pregnant-during-a-pandemic/

Here's why you are unable to sleep at night as per your zodiac sign

From pinkvilla.com

Unable to sleep properly of late or suffering from insomnia? Here are the potential causes of it as per your zodiac signs

It is no news that many of us are suffering from sleep issues like insomnia among others. Because of lockdown and stressful times like this, sleeping can be a task for many. One of the most common reasons of not being able to sleep is stress and anxiety. Many of us has could have different reasons for not being able to sleep and astrology can help us to know that.

One of the common stressors and cause of insomnia is a financial concern. So, if you are too having sleepless nights of late and want to know what is the potential cause of it. Then read on as we have compiled all the major reasons of insomnia as per zodiac signs. Read on to know more.

                      Here's why you are unable to sleep at night as per your zodiac sign

AriesOne of the common reasons why Aries people unable to sleep at night because they constantly think about how they are perceived. They won't sleep because they will overthink about what are other people's opinion on them or else scripting about their comebacks as lay on the bed.

Taurus 
Taurus thinking can keep snowballing and after a point they cant have control over it and go crazy. Pondering over the same thing, again and again, becomes senseless afterward. So, too many directionless thoughts are their reason for being awake at night. 

Gemini
Geminis usually sleep well, however, they tend to stay awake some nights when they have some decision to take. When they learn that there is no way, they toss and turn throughout the night because they have to decide and come to a conclusion.

Cancer
Cancerians stress a lot and they are usually awake planning and thinking about the future. And most of the time, after being stressed, they go to bed early and fall asleep for many good hours. 

Leo
Leo also hardly faces sleep issues but their good night's sleep can be robbed of when they have things on their mind like how can rule over the world or how can they get the most attention. If they are deprived of attention, they will turn insomniac as they keep wondering what went wrong.

Virgo
There is not one thing that worries them as they are worrywarts. They have mastered the art of insomnia as they are used to it. They can be sleep deprived still somehow manage the day. Out of everything, money is the biggest stressor for them.

Libra
Libra is another sign that never sleeps thanks to anxiety and guilt and several other thoughts. Their natural guilt complex is the major reason of their sleepless nights. 

Scorpio
One of the major reasons why they remain awake is because they must be plotting about something. Plotting could be revenge or destruction of a friend. 

Sagittarius 
Less money or money woes is one of the major stressors leading them to insomnia. They stress about money than any other sign. And they always take the stress to their heart and money issues can make them sick to the stomach. 

Capricorn
Capricorn loses its mind when everything is haywire. So, during messy or unpredictable situations they will think about the same and have sleepless nights. If they are disturbed by the disorder either at home or work, then the stress will keep them up at 4 am.

Aquarius
They stay awake because of what nasty things they have done and they anticipate Karma's strike. If they do something bad to someone, their thoughts around will keep them awake till morning. 

Pisces 
They don't sleep as there are other important things they are busy working on like who is the worst person they know, fixating on them, and then figuring out what they can do about it. They can spend the whole night thinking about one person and create mental hatefest around him or her. 

https://www.pinkvilla.com/lifestyle/people/heres-why-you-are-unable-sleep-night-your-zodiac-sign-543435

Staring into insomnia's yawning abyss

From canberratimes.com.au

"Has the world ever had more insomniacs than it is does now?" I asked my sleepmate teddy bear as, at 2.41am one morning last week, I got up and went to my desktop to finish reading James Parker's new article An Ode To Insomnia.

Yawning, my teddy bear (with his species' innate talent for slumbering) went back to sleep.

Thus I was left alone to reflect on how, in these times, there is a great deal to be kept awake by.

There is coronavirus, then TAD (Trump Anxiety Disorder, further stoked by serious informed analysis now of how he may win or burglarise a second term), then CAD (Coe Anxiety Disorder, a phobic fear of Alistair Coe's ACT Liberals winning October's Assembly elections). Then there is the general worldwide environment of statue-toppling and mayhem.

No wonder, then, since sleepless in suburbia one has no choice but to live with insomnia, the title of James Parker's piece in The Atlantic entices. If insomnia is ode-worthy, then perhaps it is not the beast we thought.

Before getting up to go to my desktop at 2.41 am I lay wide awake for an agonising hour thinking miscellaneous thoughts. This is totally contrary to Parker's advice.

"You must get up," he orders.

"That's the first thing. Don't just lie there and let it have its way with you. The sea of anxiety loves a horizontal human; it pours over your toes and surges up you like a tide. So verticalise yourself. Leave the bed. Leave its maddening mammal warmth. Out you go, clammy-footed, into the midnight spaces. The couch. The kitchen.

"So now you're up. You've reclaimed a little dignity, a little agency.

"You're shaken, though. You make yourself a piece of toast; it pops up like a gravestone. Insomnia is no joke. The thoughts it produces are entirely and droningly humourless. Failure, guilt, your money, your body. Someone else's body. On and on. And over there, look, the world: the whole flawed and shuddering and horribly lit life-and-deathscape ... At 2:41 a.m., everyone who's awake turns into [someone in] a Hieronymus Bosch painting."

Lying awake in my personal Bosch I found myself thinking, in these statue-toppling times, of statues. As a newspaper reporter I have palely loitered at a galaxy of statue unveilings. As a peripatetic, sculpture-loving traveller I have ogled statues everywhere. Here are some of my statue-based memories, dreams and reflections.

"Daddy!"

I was on a waterways cruise in Copenhagen when the little girl on the lap of a woman sitting next to me gave an excited shrill of recognition. She pointed a chubby little finger at a statuesque man standing, naked, on a quay we were cruising past.

Tourists within earshot of the cherub had a chortle at this, because the cherub was mistaken. In fact the man on the quay was Copenhagen's bronze replica of Michelangelo's marble David in Florence.

Why was the cherub deceived? We fell to wondering if it was that, this being sauna-loving Scandinavia, the child had seen Daddy naked and was reminded of him (perhaps thinking him the only naked man there is) by David's manly nakedness.

I have some sympathy with some of the statue-topplers and it always does my iconoclastic heart good to see a pompous statue a little de-pomped, if only by something as simple as having a seagull (the most iconoclastic of birds) stand on the statue's head.

In Glasgow's CBD an otherwise pompously unScottish equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington is relentlessly decorated with an orange traffic cone on the Duke's head. The authorities have given up bothering to remove it (overnight, iconoclasts climb up and re-cone the Duke) and now the cone-improved statue is thought a symbol of something iconoclastically Glaswegian about Glasgow.

There is a strong likelihood that the ACT powers-that-be will want to install a statue of me in Canberra (after all, I have given Canberra all the best years of my life, writing books and plays and columns in her praise). So a clause in my will insists that the statue cannot be topple-prone pompous, but to amuse must have some absurdity about it, perhaps a bronze seagull standing on my bronze head.

Still sort of on statues, and still lying awake on my bed in my Bosch, I mused that one of the several horrors of the election of a Liberal government in October will be that almost all commissioning of public art will shrivel. Liberals hate the arts and have always, especially in the days of Jon Stanhope's enlightened chief ministerships, made political hay with philistine voters' rage at money being "wasted" on public art. Has Alistair Coe ever even been to the opera? Does he know his arts from his elbow? Cultured Canberrans demand to know.

But back to James Parker's ode to insomnia. It takes as its theme his idea that the worst thing about insomnia is the insomniac's sense of loneliness.

"[So take solace] my sleepless friend ... you're not alone. Even as you twist in these private coils [worries about guilt, failure, bodies, etc.] you are joining a mystical fellowship of insomniacs. We are all out there, keeping an eye on things ... We're like the Night's Watch in Game of Thrones, except there are millions of us. Above the city rooftops it shimmers and flexes; it tingles over the leafy suburbs: the neural lattice of our wakefulness."

Alas, I found the thought that I might be sharing a "'neural lattice" with other Canberrans so very intellectually stimulating I was unable to go back to sleep.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6800298/staring-into-insomnias-yawning-abyss/#gsc.tab=0

Easy ways of tackling insomnia while staying at home

From standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman

Insomnia has a way of seeping out the life from your day to day activities. When your body doesn’t get enough rest, you will be constantly irritable and the people around you will start noticing and avoiding you.
Arguably working from home is already hard enough, adding insomnia to your plate will only lead to lethargy and this may compromise your work.

Here are some easy ways to help you fight insomnia while working and staying home:

Maintain a routine
Avoid living one day at a time because you are home and nobody is assessing you work. Your body is used to a routine and relapsing on that will make it pick up on the easiest habits. Which are normally bad habits.
Write down a schedule of the things you plan to do every day and stick to it. Ensure you go to bed early so that your sleep time doesn’t overlap into your day schedule.

Reduce your caffeine intake
Stimulants ranging from coffee, energy drinks and soft drinks should be taken minimally if you want to have a normal sleeping pattern. Caffeine is mainly take to serve as an eye opener, to keep you active and awake.

      Insomnia to your plate will only lead to lethargy and this may compromise your work                                                                                      (Shutterstock)

When you take caffeine before sleep, it will interfere with your body’s clock and you won’t be able to sleep as required. You can swap coffee for a cup of tea which is more relaxing.

Reduce your screen time before sleep
Avoid using your phone or watching a captivating movie just before bed. Your phone is a distraction because you will constantly come across funny stories or follow chats that can go all night long.
When you do a heavy activity before bed, your mind stays alert and hence you won’t be able to sleep on time as planned. You can read a book or write a chapter in your diary instead of watching television or using your phone.

Exercise regularly
When you get to exercise your body gets rid of all the tension in your muscles and this will help your body relax and make sleep easier. The easiest way of getting a good night’s rest is by staying active during the day, when you lounge all day your body is fully at rest and falling asleep at night can be hard.

Avoid exercising at night at this will leave you active for longer and interfere with your sleep. Furthermore, if you have insomnia avoid sleeping during the day so your body can rest at night.

Watch your diet
The kinds of food you decide to eat can also interfere with your sleep patterns. It is advisable to eat foods that are easier to digest at night and ensure to have dinner early so you can have humble time to sleep.

Interfering with your meal times also affects your body’s metabolism, hence maintaining a regular schedule is key when fighting insomnia. Also drink a lot of water during the day to fasten metabolism.

Make your bed comfortable
If your resting place is not comfortable enough, getting well rested is close to impossible. Ensure your mattress is comfortable and your pillow is fluffy enough to help your sleeping posture at night.
Also ensure your sheets are always clean and fresh, it is easy to relax and fall asleep faster when your beddings are welcoming.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/article/2001375402/easy-ways-of-tackling-insomnia-while-staying-at-home

Insomnia Awareness Night to Shed Light on Impact of Sleeplessness

From newswise.com

Newswise — DARIEN, Ill. – June features the shortest nights of the year, but for those living with chronic insomnia, every night is long. That’s why the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM) and American Alliance for Healthy Sleep (AAHS) are working to raise awareness of the disease with Insomnia Awareness Night on June 22, 2020.

More than an occasional restless night, chronic insomnia involves difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or regularly waking up earlier than desired, despite allowing enough time in bed for sleep.
“Getting adequate sleep can be difficult, especially in times of increased anxiety or stress, like those we have all experienced recently,” said Jennifer Martin, PhD, a member of the AASM board of directors. “However, chronic insomnia disorder is more persistent, and when left untreated, can lead to a range of long-term health issues.”

Chronic insomnia disorder involves difficulty sleeping and daytime symptoms occurring at least three times per week for at least three months. Its lasting effects are more severe than acute or short-term insomnia, which in most cases resolves itself.

Symptoms of Chronic Insomnia
Symptoms associated with chronic insomnia include daytime fatigue or sleepiness; feeling dissatisfied with sleep; having trouble concentrating; feeling depressed, anxious or irritable; or having low motivation or low energy. It is more common in women than in men.

Impact of Chronic Insomnia
Chronic insomnia is associated with increased risk of a range of physical and mental health problems. Research suggests chronic insomnia can lead to increased risks of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and motor vehicle accidents. Research also shows that impaired sleep is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and a recent study found that people who have insomnia are 28% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those without.

Chronic insomnia also has a negative impact on work and school performance, impairing concentration and increasing the risk of errors and accidents. Research has estimated that insomnia is associated with nearly 253 million days of lost work each year in the U.S. and more than $100 billion in annual costs due to indirect costs such as poorer workplace performance, increased health care utilization and increased accident risk.

“The effects of ongoing insomnia can impact nearly every aspect of your life,” said David Bishop, chairman of the board of directors of AAHS. “Developing healthy sleep habits can help someone who has a mild or short-term case of insomnia, but if symptoms persist into the daytime and inhibit your quality of life, it’s time to get support from your doctor.”

Treating Chronic Insomnia
The most effective treatment for chronic insomnia is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which combines behavioural strategies, such as setting a consistent sleep schedule and getting out of bed when you are struggling to sleep, with cognitive strategies, such as replacing fears about sleeplessness with more helpful expectations. CBT-I recommendations are customized to address each patient’s individual needs and symptoms. While six to eight sessions are typical, some patients improve more quickly.

“Cognitive behavioural therapy helps patients identify and change the actions and thoughts that are causing insomnia while also promoting healthy sleep habits,” said Donald Townsend, PhD, president of SBSM.

Insomnia Awareness Night Activities
Those who would like to connect for information and advice about chronic insomnia should join the conversation on Monday, June 22:

• Facebook Live: 9:30-10 p.m. ET
• Twitter Chat using #InsomniaNight: 10-11 p.m. ET
• Reddit Ask Me Anything: 11 p.m. – Midnight ET

About Insomnia Awareness Night
Since 2014, Insomnia Awareness Day, and now, Insomnia Awareness Night, has been held nationally to provide education and support for those living with chronic insomnia. Learn more at: http://sleepeducation.org/insomnia-awareness-night.

https://www.newswise.com/articles/insomnia-awareness-night-to-shed-light-on-impact-of-sleeplessness?ta=home

Restless Leg Syndrome: Everything You Need To Know

From doctor.ndtv.com

Restless leg syndrome is a very uncomfortable sensation which usually happens in the evening or at night. It is a disorder that can affect your quality of sleep

Restless leg syndrome is one of the possible causes of sleeplessness. This is a neurological disorder that causes an uncontrollable urge to move your legs. It is a very uncomfortable sensation which usually happens in the evening or at night. It is also known as Willis-Ekbom disease. It is a sleep disorder that can be severe or mild depending on the symptoms one is experiencing. Moving your legs while experiencing the unpleasant feeling may give you temporary relief. But is left uncontrolled, restless leg syndrome and insomnia can increase the risk of health conditions.

Symptoms of restless leg syndrome

Strong urges to move legs, especially while sleeping or when at rest. You may experience relief after movement.
Lack of sleep due to this syndrome can impact your overall health causing irritability, mood swings, inability to concentrate and cause other health issues.

What causes restless leg syndrome?

The definite cause of restless leg syndrome is not known. But genetics plays a role. Many women also develop this condition during pregnancy. In some cases, an imbalance of the brain chemical dopamine is also the reason.

Risk factors

Certain factors can put you at a higher risk of restless leg syndrome. Some of these factors are-

1. Gender- females are at a higher risk
2. Age i.e. middle age
3. Chronic diseases like peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord conditions or diabetes
4. Certain medications
5. Kidney failure
6. Iron deficiency

Home remedies

This condition cannot be treated with home remedies but a few can help you get relief from symptoms. All these home remedies include practices that can help you ensure better sleep.
Consume a healthy diet- include foods like leafy greens, nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruits
Follow a fixed sleep schedule
Stay stress-free
Regular exercise, yoga and meditation

You should seek medical help if you are experiencing this condition more often. If left uncontrolled, it can severely affect your sleep pattern. Lack of sleep can lead to several chronic diseases.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

https://doctor.ndtv.com/living-healthy/restless-leg-syndrome-everything-you-need-to-know-2245425

What is acute insomnia? How to diagnose and treat your short-term sleeping troubles

From insider.com

Acute insomnia, or short-term insomnia, is when you're having sleep troubles that last for less than a month at a time. 

Often, acute insomnia is the result of stress, and once the event causing stress passes, you should be able to sleep better. 

However, acute insomnia can still affect other areas of your life, and it's important to know how to treat your sleep troubles and get through it. 

This article was medically reviewed by Alex Dimitriu, MD, psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. 

Anyone who has laid awake in bed staring at the clock, mentally calculating how many hours of sleep they will get if they fall asleep right now, knows the struggle of insomnia.

The sleep disorder is incredibly common, with acute cases affecting as many as 25% of Americans a year, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania.
Insomnia can manifest in different ways for different people. Some have trouble falling asleep, others have trouble staying asleep, and some have difficulty with both.
However, when those sleep issues start to have a negative impact on your daily life, that's when it goes from just a few days of bad sleep to a concerning case of insomnia.

Insomnia can last for days, weeks, or even years. Generally, it is considered acute insomnia when it lasts for less than a month at one time, and chronic insomnia when it continues for longer, usually three months at one time.

Symptoms

The symptoms of insomnia, whether acute or chronic, are similar. They include:

• Lying awake for a long time before falling asleep
• Waking up during the night 
• Waking up early and being up for the day
• Feeling as if you haven't slept 
• Irritability, depression, or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing or remembering
• Worrying about sleep

The severity of the symptoms generally worsens the longer insomnia persists.

Ashley Moore, a licensed clinical professional counsellor and lecturer at University of New England, says that for an acute case of insomnia, "the level of physiological and cognitive symptoms we are going to see are probably not going to be as severe as someone who has been experiencing insomnia for months."

Causes

Moore says many of her clients experience acute insomnia, typically during a time of stress or major change. The causes are usually psychological in nature, such as:

• Major life changes like moving or starting a new job
• Changes in your sleep schedule, like from work or travel
• Stressors like a sick family member or financial concerns
• Poor sleep habits, like not having a consistent bedtime
• Anxiety over having insomnia

Having anxiety about insomnia is a major concern because it can prolong the insomnia, or even worsen it.

Imagine someone has trouble sleeping for a few nights. "Now every night [they are] going to bed they are fearful that they're not going to be able to sleep," Moore says.  "So, their anxiety level is up and now their anxiety is actually making it harder to sleep."

While acute insomnia can turn into chronic insomnia, it usually won't — about 75% of those with acute insomnia will recover, meaning it takes them fewer than 15 minutes to fall asleep, or who spend fewer than 15 minutes awake during the night at least five times a week.

Most of the time, insomnia resolves itself when the stressor triggering it is resolved or at least addressed. For instance, if your insomnia is triggered by anxiety over starting a new job, it will likely go away once you have settled into work.
"It probably is going to resolve itself for most individuals," Moore says. "But there always is an individual's own tendencies and coping strategies and baseline anxiety that is going to play into that."

Treatment

Before you panic that you will never get another good night's sleep, Moore suggests trying to pinpoint what is triggering your insomnia and address it, if possible.
At the same time, improving your sleep habits, referred to as sleep hygiene, can help. This includes avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bed, getting regular exercise, and skipping long daytime naps. Moore says most of the time, lifestyle changes will be the most beneficial.
Here are some more lifestyle tips to get better sleep:

Make your bedroom sleep-friendly

This might seem obvious, but it's critical: make sure your room is quiet and dark. Light can disrupt your circadian rhythm, delaying the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep.

People who live in areas with bright street lights are more likely to report trouble sleeping, according to a 2016 study. Especially for light sleepers, noise can disrupt sleep. Things like white noise machines or ear plugs can help with that, and black out curtains can block outside light.

The second part of creating a sleep-friendly room may be harder for most of us. You should only use your bedroom for two things: sleep and sex. The idea is to condition your mind and body so that being in your bed triggers sleepiness.
This is called stimulus control, and it's been used as treatment for insomnia since the 1970s, according to a review published in 2012. That means no watching TV, eating, working or even texting from bed.

Limit screens before bed

Speaking of TV and texting, it's also a good idea to limit screen time before bed. The blue light that comes from electronics is particularly good at suppressing melatonin, the hormone that helps make you sleepy.

Harvard researchers found it suppresses melatonin twice as long compared to green light. Cell phones and computers often have "night mode" features that reduce the amount of blue light your screen emits. Blue light blocking glasses have also become popular in recent years, although the science is split on how much they really help.

Light issues aside, there is another problem with watching TV or scrolling through social media before bed. It is mentally stimulating.

"People are often talking about experiences or fears or grief on social media. We're being exposed to this psychologically stimulating content," Moore says. "It's things that will peak our anxiety a little bit — even those of us who don't tend toward a trace level of anxiety."
Turn off the TV and put down your phone an hour or two before bed, and try doing something you enjoy that is also relaxing, whether it is reading a book, crocheting, listening to music or doing gentle yoga.

If you can't fall asleep, get up

Don't lay in bed for hours trying to sleep. It's only going to make it harder. For one thing, you don't want to condition your mind to associate your bed with lying awake.

This goes back to the concept of stimulus control. Lying awake in bed trains your brain to associate bed with wakefulness rather than sleep. It's also likely that the longer you lay in bed, the more anxious you will get about not being able to sleep.

"We tell ourselves things like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep again' and 'Oh my goodness, I'm so tired and I have to work in the morning,'" Moore says.  "Those types of stories come into our brain and can increase our anxiety and actually make it harder to fall asleep."
Try going to bed at your normal time, but if you are still awake after 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed or read a book (just stay away from screens). Once you feel tired enough to fall asleep, try getting back in bed. Moore says this applies even to people who wake up in the middle of the night.

Keep a regular schedule

Finally, experts suggest keeping a regular schedule. Again, it has to do with how our bodies become conditioned to our routines.

"That's the last thing people want to hear—when I tell them if they get up at 7 o'clock in the morning on the weekdays they should get up at 7 o'clock in the morning on the weekend, too," Moore says.
But, it is important. It helps condition our bodies and can lead to better, longer sleep. For example, a study published in BMC Public Health looked at 160 university students. Researchers found that the more irregularity in a person's bedtime schedule, the less sleep they got a night. The study also suggested the quality of sleep decreased with irregular bedtime schedules.

In a similar study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital found students with irregular sleep schedules had delayed release of melatonin and even had lower grade point averages.

Not keeping a regular sleep schedule can also disrupt your circadian rhythm, or your body's internal 24-hour clock. If you have ever had to switch your sleep schedule for shift work or travelled to a different time zone, you've likely experienced this.

When to seek professional help

If your insomnia is lasting more than a few weeks, and creeping into chronic insomnia territory, it may be time to reach out to your doctor or therapist.
This is especially true if the stressor that triggered your insomnia has resolved but you are still having trouble sleeping.

While sleep aids — both over-the-counter and prescription — may be able to help, trying to improve sleep hygiene through lifestyle changes should come first.

https://www.insider.com/what-is-acute-insomnia

Cumin seeds and other home remedies that can help beat insomnia

From thehealthsite.com

Having trouble sleeping at night? We have some sure shot home remedies to fight insomnia. Check them out.

Cumin seeds or jeera are a common ingredient in many Indian recipes. Apart from enhancing the taste of the cuisines, this spice has several health benefits and is used in many home remedies. Cumin seeds contain good amount of copper, iron, antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc and potassium. Studies have shown that benefits of jeera in weight loss, curing indigestion, constipation, treating skin problems, as well as in fighting insomnia. Yes, taking one teaspoon of cumin powder before going to bed can help you to have a good night’s sleep. Cumin seeds contains melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep–wake cycle, that can treat sleep disorders like insomnia.

How to use jeera to beat insomnia

Mash a banana and add one teaspoon of cumin powder in it. Have this paste before going to bed daily and you will have a sound sleep. You can also make cumin tea and drink at night to beat insomnia. To brew cumin tea, first roast one teaspoon of cumin seeds. Boil one cup of water and then add the roasted cumin seeds into it. Remove it from the heat and let it steep for around five minutes. Strain and drink it before hitting the bed for better sleep.

4 other home remedies to improve insomnia  

Stopping popping sleeping pills to beat insomnia. Prescription sleeping pills can cause side effects like changes in appetite, constipation, diarrhoea, dizziness, daytime drowsiness, dry mouth or throat. Over time, your body may grow accustomed to the drug, requiring you to increase doses to get the same sleep-inducing effect. Higher doses of sleeping pills could lead to depressed breathing while you sleep, which can be fatal. Instead of relying on prescription drugs, try these home remedies to treat insomnia.

Warm milk

Yes, drinking a cup of warm milk may help you fall asleep, but the reason is not what many people think. It is commonly believed milk contains two substances which are linked to sleep and relaxation: the hormone melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan. But researchers say that the amount of tryptophan present in a glass of milk is too low to feel the effects. While a glass of warm milk may not directly help induce sleep, it may spark pleasant memories of mum, home and childhood, which may help you relax and sleep better.

Chamomile tea

For centuries, chamomile tea has been used as a relaxation aid. It can help reduce muscle tension, soothe digestion, and relieve anxiety – all this can make you sleep better. Use two or three tea bags to get the full, sleep-promoting effect. Drink it after dinner, but don’t drink it too close to the bed or it will wake you up in the middle of the night to attend nature’s call.

Hot bath with lavender oil

Taking a hot bath with lavender oil before bed can help relax your body and mind, and get better sleep, say some experts. A 2016 study published in the journal Explore also suggested that inhaling a lavender-scented patch before bed may improve night-time sleep and boost daytime energy. Some studies conducted on middle-age women and heart-disease patients also found that lavender can improve sleep quality. Researchers attribute it to the lavender’s relaxing effects on the body.

Meditation

Meditation and mindfulness techniques could work wonders for those having trouble sleeping. Studies have shown that meditation can increase sleep time, improve sleep quality, and make it easier to fall (and stay) asleep. And there’s no harm in trying as meditation has no associated risks or side effects. So, if want to have a good night’s sleep, shut off electronics 30 minutes before bed and sit quietly focusing on soft music or deep breathing. If you’re struggling with waking up in the middle of the night, experts suggest practising a 10- to 15-minute session of meditation to fall asleep again.

https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/natural-remedies/cumin-seeds-and-other-home-remedies-that-can-help-beat-insomnia-750352/

Insomnia, loneliness and COVID-19

From medicalxpress.com/news

The harmful effects of COVID-19 may go beyond the body, whether you've contracted the disease or not, according to University of Arizona research looking at the impact of the novel coronavirus on mental health.

A team of UArizona psychiatrists and sleep researchers led by William "Scott" Killgore, psychiatry professor in the College of Medicine—Tucson, found evidence in surveys that during the wide lockdown period in April, there may have been a spike in suicidal thoughts in the United States. They found two possible reasons for the increase: loneliness and anxiety-induced insomnia.

Their findings, which are yet to be peer-reviewed, were recently published as letters to the editor of the journal Psychiatry Research.

The findings are based on surveys of over 1,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 34. The team continues to analyse survey data monthly in an effort to track mental health responses to COVID-19 throughout the year.

UANews spoke with Killgore and sleep expert and study co-author Michael Grandner, an associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Sleep and Health Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioural Sleep Medicine Clinic at Banner—University Medical Centre Tucson, on ways to protect mental health during this time.

Q: How pervasive is the feeling of loneliness in isolation?
Killgore: We found that during the lockdown period back in April, right when COVID cases were modelled to peak, that the rates of loneliness were quite high. According to our survey results, 93% of respondents were sheltering in place; 61.5% felt social isolated much of the time and 43% exceeded the cut-off for high loneliness, which is higher than previous reports. It's not common to have this level of isolation on such a wide scale.

Q: What are the public health consequences of such wide-spread loneliness?
Killgore: We found that reported loneliness was strongly correlated with depression. Of the people who scored in the lonely rage (the 61.5% of respondents), 54.7% of lonely participants met clinically significant criteria for moderate to severe depression. Only 15% of non-lonely participants felt that way. Then we focused in on the survey question that asked how often you've had thoughts that you would be better off dead, or hurting yourself in some way. We divided respondents into those who said no and those who said yes at any point in the previous two weeks. We found that 35% of the people who scored in lonely range had thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Pre-pandemic, the rate of suicide ideation is much lower, typically between 2 to 4%.

Q: Do you have any tips for beating loneliness?
Killgore: We might all be "Zoomed out," but try to think creatively about ways to stay socially connected. Getting outside is also important. Even if you stay a safe distance from people, you can see that the world is better and you're not alone. Research has even shown that people who get more sunshine have much better mental health outcomes. Sunlight, especially in the morning hours, can help with mood and reduce depression. We find that people who get outside for 10 minutes of sunshine or more regularly seem to have a better ability to cope with the stresses of the pandemic. Fresh air and physical activity can be helpful for mood too.

Q: What have you learned about the role of insomnia in mental health during this stressful time?
Killgore: Although most people don't have suicidal thoughts, we found that, as you might expect, the more afraid you are of COVID-19, the more likely you are to have occasional thoughts about suicide or self-harm. But we were interested in the role of sleep and insomnia in this relationship. Our statistical analysis revealed that it's the insomnia triggered by the fear of the virus that's causing suicidal ideation. If you're afraid of COVID, you're more anxious, and that's affecting your sleep, which is critical for processing this fear. Without sufficient good quality sleep, suicidal thoughts start to have a louder voice.

Q: How might COVID-19 fears affect people differently?

Killgore: People with existing mental health issues are going to be more susceptible. But even for people who may not have a history of mental health problems, if you're not sleeping well, you can be affected too. Sleep is important for your brain to think rationally, and if you don't get sufficient good sleep then it becomes harder to distinguish rational from irrational thoughts—at 3 a.m., emotional thoughts tend to have greater sway, and you make different decisions than you might during the sobriety of daylight. In fact, your brain starts to think differently when you haven't had good amount of sleep. We've done research that shows that when we're sleep deprived, we make many of the same types of errors as people with lesions in their ventromedial prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain responsible for emotion, decision-making and social cognition.

Q: What are some tips for getting better sleep?

Killgore: Again, getting outside helps. Blue morning light helps reset your wake/sleep cycle and helps you get sleepy at a more reasonable time.
Grandner: Falling asleep can be difficult when you have a hard time detaching and disconnecting from your thoughts at the end of the day, especially when you're glued to the news. To combat this, give yourself time to wind down before bedtime. Take time to relax and switch gears by avoiding screens. Instead, try reading or relaxing each of your muscles one at a time.

Waking up and being unable to fall back asleep is also becoming more common as people become more stressed. While it's normal to awaken up to 30 times nightly, it's only for a few seconds and you don't remember it. It becomes an issue when you're awake for 20, 30 minutes or more and when these awakenings are driven by anxious thoughts.

You can overcome this by realizing that your anxious thoughts at 3 a.m. are unproductive. It's also good to get out of bed as soon as you know you're not falling back asleep. You want to preserve your bed as a place for sleep to train your brain into associating it that way. When you stay tossing and turning in your bed, you're training your brain to respond that way in the future. Try to find a few ways to relax yourself like you do before bedtime.

Working from home or stress can make sleep patterns irregular, but your body likes routine. Throwing your body's biological clock off can impact all sorts of natural rhythms such as appetite, metabolism, even hormones, which can cause people to feel drained and sluggish even without exerting themselves. It's important to build regularity into your day. Go to bed and wake up at a similar time every day. When you wake up in the morning, get some sunlight and move around.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-insomnia-loneliness-covid-.html

How To Get Sleep In Uneasy Times

From npr.org

Having trouble getting to sleep these days? You're not alone. For people with a history of insomnia, sleep problems are magnified right now. And many who never struggled before are suddenly experiencing interruptions in their nightly rest or difficulty falling asleep.

It's pretty typical that in moments of anxiety, sleep suffers, but the situation we're all living through today means the anxiety never stops, says neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. Douglas Kirsch, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

For occasional insomnia, the problems go away when the specific trigger is resolved. But now, he says, there's no resolution or relief from "the constant inflow of anxiety-provoking news." And that spells trouble for sleep.

Family doctors and sleep specialists say many people who are feeling grief, frustration and anxiety, whether about the pandemic, financial worries or racial inequalities and unrest in the U.S., are finding themselves unable to sleep. And it's not just the worry. It's the interrupted schedules and isolation of the pandemic too.

Here's why it's not all in your head and what they say you can do about it.

                  Insomnia has become even more common, sleep specialists say, with                                                          the rise of "collective social anxiety." Aaron McCoy/Getty Images

We're suffering "collective social anxiety" — tame it to sleep better
Before the pandemic, Arlene Rentas, a busy currency trader in Charlotte, N.C., kept a regular schedule and slept like clockwork. She would awaken at 5:30 in the morning and be out the door by 7 a.m., home by 8 p.m. and, after a quick run, in bed around 10 p.m.

"I would sleep rather deep, rather well," she says. Not so anymore. "Now, I probably get up every two hours, and it's very hard for me to fall back asleep," she says.

Dr. Gary LeRoy, a family physician in Dayton, Ohio, and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says he's hearing from a lot of patients about the worries that keep them from sleeping: having to shelter in place, losing a job or financial struggles.

And, he says, general uncertainty about the future fuels insomnia.

"There is a kind of collective social anxiety about what they don't know about coronavirus, and so people are staying up, watching the news, talking with family and friends about it," he says.
And, he says, information is "changing by the week or day or even hour. I think that's what's causing some element of agitated depression."

Sleep problems can be a symptom of depression, says LeRoy. He cautions that if mood problems are consistently disrupting your life, you might do well to seek professional help. "People may just feel fatigue and tired all the time, or angry all the time, and sometimes those are signs and symptoms of major depression or major anxiety-related conditions," he says.

Finding a therapist right now may feel daunting, but many counsellors are offering online appointments. And getting started can be easier than you might think.

For managing milder anxiety, psychologist Sonia Ancoli-Israel with the University of California, San Diego, who studies sleep and circadian rhythms, offers this preventive technique: Instead of trying to repress your instinct to worry, schedule it. She says it "sounds very silly, but it works!"

Here's how to do it: Find 10 minutes during the day, not too close to bedtime. "Turn off your phone, don't let anyone bother you and just sit and concentrate on all the things that you are worried and anxious about," Ancoli-Israel says.

With daily practice, she says, the brain gets accustomed to compartmentalizing in this way — and gets used to relying on this "worry time." If you awaken in the middle of the night and start ruminating, she says, "you can say, 'Wait a minute — I have from 10 to 10:15 a.m. to do this tomorrow, and I don't have to think about it now.' "

Reset interrupted exercise routines
For many people, says sleep specialist Kirsch, "exercise helps work off their stress and anxiety," helping them to sleep better. But with sheltering in place and social distancing, a lot of us can't go to places where we used to work out — for example, the gym, pool or even parks — so exercise regimes have been interrupted. Kirsch says he has had patients who really struggled to find a place to get any movement in.

"I think if you measured people's step counts these days compared to where they were two or three months ago, I suspect those step counts are certainly down. I know mine is personally," Kirsch says. He advises upping your step count, for instance by taking a few short walks in the day, like one in the morning and then one more after work, but before dinner.

And he says, there are some workarounds. For example, Kirsch says numerous exercise classes are now being streamed online, which can be fun and engaging. People can exercise at home with bands, weights, even a jump rope — anything to get the heart rate up.

"Whatever you can do to get the body moving will help lead to a better night's sleep," he says.

Realign disrupted schedules
Another unfortunate consequence of sheltering at home is that many people's schedules have been disrupted. This isn't great news for sleep, says Kirsch, since the body "thrives best in routine." If people no longer have to be at work at a certain time, they may stay up later and get up later, which can throw the body into a sort of sleep confusion. On top of that, some people may be "watching much more electronics or playing video games later in the night," which can disturb circadian rhythms.

Kirsch's advice: Try to get back to normal routines; go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends; and steer clear of electronic devices in the later evening.
He says that if your routine is trending really late, a key to readjusting it is to get up at the same time every morning, even if you did stay up late. This will be hard at first, but if you get tired enough, it can train your body to fall asleep earlier. "Your body likes to know when it's going to go to sleep and get up, and that allows it to function optimally. When we change the schedule, that doesn't allow sleep to occur in the same pattern," and that can throw sleep off.

He also warns not to nap during the day, as that can lead you to stay up later.

"Set the stage for good sleep to occur"
If you've tried exercising, managing anxiety and resetting your schedule and you're still waking up in the middle of the night, it's time to make sure you're following good sleep hygiene.

Number one, says Ancoli-Israel, it's important to get out of bed if you're not sleeping well. "You want to help your brain learn that the bed is for sleeping," she says.

That means if you're lying there, not falling asleep for more than about 20 minutes, she says, "the most important thing to do is get out of bed and leave the bedroom." She says to go sit in a comfortable place in another room — she cautions that you should sit up, not lie down — and "do something that is relaxing and calming for you" until you get sleepy. That could be listening to audiobooks, reading or watching TV, as long as it's not something so compelling that it's "going to suck you in."

During this period of relaxation, if you start feeling sleepy, that's the time to return to bed and try to go to sleep. And if you start to get tense or anxious all over again and aren't falling asleep, then "get out of bed again, and you keep doing this until you can get into bed and fall asleep."
She says it doesn't help to pressure yourself. "Don't actively try to fall asleep. Set the stage for good sleep to occur," she says.
Another way to calm down and get back to rest, Ancoli-Israel says, is a simple breathing technique.

"Start concentrating on your breathing. Take a deep breath, inhale and then exhale and count each breath," she explains. "Now what often will happen is your mind is going to wander again, so you have to stop yourself and bring your mind back to thinking about your breathing and start counting from one again."

You'll likely have to repeat this a number of times, but eventually, she says, you'll actually fall asleep while counting your breaths. Deep breathing is relaxing itself, but importantly, it can also help stop the mind from wandering.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/02/865483669/how-to-get-sleep-in-uneasy-times?t=1591169407701