It would seem that, for the past few months or so, the world is put to a complete standstill - the COVID-19 pandemic has devoured people’s everyday lives, in many more ways than one. It has impacted the way we communicate with each other, work, feel and, by extension of that, sleep. The topic of “coronavirus sleep” has been an emerging one among sleepers worldwide - but why?
Well, naturally, it has to do with the stress that we feel in our daily lives. Coronavirus sleep can be a term used to describe the difficulties that we experience sleeping because of the stress and anxiety that this disease causes.
On top of that, there’s also sleep apnea - does this disease increase one’s chances of developing the COVID-19 virus? Are people who use CPAP machines in higher danger of the coronavirus? Well, let’s try and figure these things out, shall we?
Also, do keep in mind that one of the best methods of tackling sleep issues is getting yourself a brand new, high-end mattress.
Table of Contents
Coronavirus Sleep - A Serious Topic, for More Reasons Than One
First up, let’s analyze the relationship between coronavirus and sleep. After all, if we’re about to “coin” terms such as “coronavirus sleep”, we should probably get to the bottom of how it is that this virus affects people, right?
Let me just say this in advance, though - in the entirety of this article, we’ll be focusing on the potential dangers of coronavirus sleep. What I mean by that is that we won’t be talking about the effects that the virus has (or would have) on people who are already sick with COVID-19.
There’s a very simple reason why that's the case, too - there simply isn’t any information available concerning sufferers of, say, sleep apnea who have come down with the virus. Well, at least not as of writing this “coronavirus sleep” article.
Now, that being said, let’s talk about some of the more common issues that people might face with their sleep, and that relate to sleep apnea and coronavirus.
Insomnia
One of the most common coronavirus sleep issues that people have is insomnia. This isn’t at all surprising, seeing as all of the different information regarding the current pandemic causes a lot of stress, which, in turn, might prevent you from falling asleep at night.
This is actually a much bigger issue than one might think at first. Insomnia tends to interfere with a person’s life not only when it comes to sleeping and getting some proper rest, but then also affects one’s social interactions, productivity and everything in between, as a result.
If you keep catching yourself not being able to fall asleep at night, and constantly waking up after getting just a few minutes of sleep, these might some of the first symptoms of “coronavirus sleep” - this is especially true if you find that all you think about when you lie down on your bed is the virus.
Not Getting Enough Rest
Another group of people who might suffer from coronavirus sleep are those who do manage to fall asleep, but find that they keep waking up in the morning feeling like they’ve just run a marathon.
What this usually means is that your mind isn’t able to shut off even while you sleep - if all you think about throughout the day is the pandemic in question, and feel a lot of anxiety because of it, this is definitely a likely scenario.
Rest is crucial in order for both our bodies and mind to function properly throughout the rest of the next day. People tend to become very anxious and stressed out if they don’t get enough high-quality sleep, which then leads to more thoughts about the virus. It’s a never-ending cycle.
This, in turn, can also be caused by nightmares. Studies show that while sleep health is still a difficult topic, it’s undeniable that it’s crucial for us to get enough rest in order to feel in our daily lives[1] - if you can’t shut off your brain, and find yourself waking up at 3AM in the morning because of a night terror that’s related to coronavirus sleep, quality sleep gets thrown out of the window.
Sleep Apnea and Coronavirus
Lastly, let’s also mention the topic of sleep apnea and coronavirus.
As I’ve noted earlier in the “coronavirus sleep” article, as of writing it, there are no known, reliable studies that would showcase the effects that the COVID-19 virus has on people who suffer from sleep apnea.
That being said, if you’re someone who, say, uses a CPAP machine, chances are that your sleep apnea is pretty severe. Granted the fact that the coronavirus apparently destroys one’s respiratory system, it would make sense to think that while sleep apnea sufferers aren’t necessarily in the risk group, they should still be mindful of the topic.
Now, let me be clear - I am definitely not a doctor, and the only place that you should take any and all medical advice regarding the topic of coronavirus and sleep is from trustworthy and accredited sources, whether online or in-person (seeing the situation as it is now, it’s probably a better idea to do so online).
That being said, however, if you’re struggling with some severe form of sleep apnea and coronavirus is something that you just can’t get out of your head, it will definitely impact your sleep health even further.
How to Deal with Coronavirus Sleep?
Now that we’ve got all of the not-so-pleasant symptoms and topics relating to coronavirus sleep out o the way, let’s talk about some possible methods of dealing with this issue, shall we?
Keeping a Sleep Diary
While this may seem like a pretty random solution to a problem like coronavirus sleep, it’s actually more effective than you might initially think.
There are actual scientific studies that showcase the importance of keeping a sleep journal, and how it can positively impact your sleep[2]. If you input a sleep entry into the journal every single morning, you’ll keep track of both the quality of your sleep, and also the nightmares or some more positive dreams that you might have throughout the night.
Sleep diaries will basically help you better understand your sleep habbits. Coronavirus sleep or not, this is definitely the first step to take for anyone who’s looking to better their sleep, in more ways than one.
Reducing Stress Levels
The coronavirus pandemic causes major amounts of stress for many people worldwide - this is pretty obvious. It’s also obvious that this stress then also leads to other issues, among which topics such as those relating to coronavirus and sleep are the most prominent.
The major factor for all of that stress, for most people, has to do with uncertainty. One of the worst things about this virus is that we still don’t really know all that much about it - among the things that we don’t know, however, the most fear-inducing one has to be when will this all come to an end.
Now, if you want to get rid of “coronavirus sleep”, and go back to sleeping normal, you have to find ways of how you could reduce your stress levels and manage the feeling of anxiety that might haunt you throughout your days and nights.
The very first thing that you could do is try understanding that this isn’t something that’s unique to you and you alone - countless numbers of people around the entire world feel the same! Frankly, you aren’t alone - which leads me to another point, namely - communication.
Talk to your friends, to your family and your partner. Talk to anyone - preferably online, of course. Communication will not only help you not feel alone with your thoughts, but will also show you that there are, in fact, other people who feel the same.
You could also try to take up some new activities to do in your spare time. If you keep your body and mind occupied, you’ll have much less time to worry about possible and impossible scenarios that relate to the virus. As a result of that, you’ll reduce the chances of suffering from coronavirus sleep.
Changing Your Mattress and Other Sleep Accessories
Hear me out on this one.
A huge part of the reason why many people can’t get enough quality sleep in their lives has to do with the mattresses that they sleep on. If your bed is trying to stab you with springs or drown you in a sea of loose foam, those are some pretty good signs that something has to change.
There are more subtle signs, too. Perhaps the mattress that you currently sleep on is too firm or too soft? Maybe it’s worn down in the middle, and thus arches and bends your back and neck? Or maybe your pillow feels like a rock?
While these things can surely affect your quality of sleep, imagine combining them with coronavirus sleep, and fears such as you not washing your hands properly or running out of food supplies and having to go out to a shop soon. The result is definitely not pretty!
That’s the other thing, too - you should keep in mind the fact that it’s almost never a single issue, but instead a combination of multiple different problems manifesting in some less-than-ideal results. What do I mean by this?
Well, think about it - perhaps you’ve started worrying about coronavirus sleep, and noticed that your sleep quality just plummeted because of it. What you might have NOT noticed, however, are the facts that you’ve been sleeping on an old and uncomfortable bed for quite some time already, and that there's that school assignment that still needs to be finished.
Can you see what I’m trying to say? Basically, while coronavirus sleep is a serious issue, and it needs to be tackled and not disregarded, it may not be the only thing that affects your overall sleep quality.
Now, then, back to the point I was trying to make initially - if you want to get some high-quality sleep, you need a reliable mattress in order to do so. Allow me to tell you about some of the better options out there:
- Saatva. Without a single doubt, Saatva offers some of the best mattresses in the entire industry. The beds are designed as the old-school, traditional innersprings, and sleep exceptionally-cool, have some great bounce to them and retain their shape very well.
- Puffy. Puffy offers customer some high-tier foam mattresses. If you prefer the feeling of foam, and could use some proper pressure relief capabilities from your mattress, then Puffy’s bed assortment might be a great place to start your search.
- Nectar. Nectar’s mattresses are exceptionally affordable, and come with a unique 4-layer design. The beds should suit most types of sleepers out there, and also do a great job of relieving pressure points and providing you with sleep that won’t make you feel like you’ve wrestled a bear upon waking up in the morning.
While these are some of the more popular and well-known mattress alternative, there are definitely other models out there, too. Also, don’t forget that you can check out some other sleep accessories, in addition to a brand new mattress - pillows, blankets, sheets, and even CPAP machines for those who suffer from sleep apnea.
Table: Top 3 mattress brands in the current industry
Finally, the best part of buying your mattress form an online provider is that you won’t need to leave your house - the new bed will usually be delivered to your doorstep. Seeing how things are nowadays, any and all social distancing is to be appreciated - the process of buying your mattress is no exception.
Conclusions
Coronavirus sleep is definitely an annoying topic that should not only be addressed, but also dealt with as soon as possible. In order to prevent it from developing into some more serious issues, such as insomnia or constant night terrors, you should try to minimize your daily stress levels and perhaps even keep a sleep diary to track your quality of sleep better.
Finally, if you’re interested in purchasing yourself a brand new mattress, do make sure to visit only the best bed providers found online - this way, you'll be able to guarantee yourself some superb-quality products.
Don’t let the coronavirus sleep issue swallow your quality of life - take action! Best of luck, and remember to wash your hands and stay home, if and when possible!
Scientific References
1. Daniel J. Buysse, MD: 'Sleep Health: Can We Define It? Does It Matter?'
2. Michelle A. Short, PhD, Teresa Arora, PhD, Michael Gradisar, PhD, et al.: 'How Many Sleep Diary Entries Are Needed to Reliably Estimate Adolescent Sleep?'