Sleep Disturbance / Insomnia
Many people report sleep disturbances in their COVID-19 recovery period and these sleep deficits have an impact on your physical and mental quality of life.
When you’re ill, your immune system’s response to an infection can profoundly affect your sleep. Likewise, getting adequate, good-quality sleep is crucial for your immune system to work at its best.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE
Many people recovering from COVID-19 notice that their sleep has changed when compared to their sleep before they were sick. Poor sleep can happen for a variety of reasons and some people find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, while others find that they wake up earlier than usual and can’t get back to sleep. You may wake up feeling unrefreshed or like you haven’t slept at all.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
Sleep studies of people with Post-COVID, also known as Long COVID, reveal a drastic reduction in sleep quantity and quality. However, there is no clear explanation for why Post-COVID causes sleep disturbances. There are several possible causes:
The physical symptoms of Post-COVID can cause a disturbance.
Mental health symptoms, such as depression, anxiety and stress can contribute to insomnia and related sleep issues.
The immune system is still not functioning normally and, when your body is dealing with chronic inflammation, your sleep can be affected.
SYMPTOMS
Difficulty Falling asleep despite tiredness.
Waking up too early or in the middle of the night and being unable to go back to sleep
Waking several times throughout the night
Still feeling tired after waking up
Unable to nap despite daytime tiredness or sleepiness
MANAGEMENT
PRIORITIZE GETTING GOOD SLEEP.
Getting enough sleep is crucial to any recovery and sleep can improve your mental health, help you recover from illness in general, and reduce inflammation in the body. “Sleep hygiene” is the name given to a set of practices designed to help you prepare for sleep.
THINGS TO CONSIDER: