Corona-Induced Insomnia Is Real
What can be especially problematic for people who are dealing with anxiety about coronavirus is the fact that when you aren’t sleeping well or taking care of yourself, it’s negatively impacting your immune system. You may be setting yourself up for a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy if you can’t get a handle on your anxiety and make healthy choices.
Studies show us that when people don’t get enough sleep or even don’t get enough quality sleep, they are more likely to get sick if they’re exposed to a virus. It can also take you longer to recover from illness if you don’t get enough sleep.
There are reasons for this.
When you’re asleep, your immune system releases something called cytokines, which are proteins.
Cytokine increases are needed to combat both infection and inflammation. When you’re deprived of enough quality sleep, your body may decrease how many of these cytokines it’s making.
When you’re asleep you’re also creating and releasing antibodies that help you combat viruses and other illnesses.
The recommendation is that adults get anywhere from seven to eight hours of sleep a night for their immune system to function optimally. Getting enough sleep also reduces the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. These underlying illnesses are associated with worse outcomes in people with Covid-19.
If you can’t get enough sleep at night, you may need to make up for it during the day in the form of relatively short naps. Even just a 30-minute nap during the day might help boost your immune system.
Just keep in mind, sleeping too much during the day can be counterproductive, so don’t let yourself sleep during the day for more than 30 minutes.
You Can Get Through This
Sleep is important, and your health is important. Prioritize taking care of yourself and your family to the best of your ability during this time. Know that everything you do for yourself is strengthening your immune system, including getting more sleep.
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