Why is sticking to a sleep schedule important during COVID-19?
Anika H. Ahmed, MD
Sleep is critical to physical and mental health as well as to an effective, functioning immune system. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many countries into lockdowns, families in self quarantine, people in isolation, economies crumbling in freefall and futures uncertain. All these have triggered anxiety, depression, and nervousness in people across the globe, leading to a lack of sleep.
It can be pretty challenging during the pandemic of COVID-19 to maintain a normal sleep cycle of at least seven to eight hours. The challenge is greater at times when there is no fixed schedule to follow. Keeping track of time can be especially hard if there is no work schedule to adhere to, like getting up at a certain time to be ready for work, dropping or picking up children to and from school, scheduling meetings with colleagues during the day, or following a nine to five office hours schedule. With most people working remotely at home, many have no clock to follow, resulting in disruption of the sleep cycle. The pattern seen in this pandemic is that people mostly either sleep late at night, oversleep the next day, or loose sleep due to anxiety, depression, or nervousness. Insomnia or inadequate sleep, particularly during a pandemic, can lead to the following worrisome conditions:
- Weak immune system- Sleep deprivation or a bad sleep cycle can lead to reduced production of Cytokines, a type of protein that helps the immune system target infection and inflammation, as can be caused by the pandemic of COVID-19. Cytokines are released by the immune system mainly during sleep, which in turn also promotes sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to decreased production of these protective cytokines.
- An improper sleep schedule causes weak cognitive ability. Sleep plays a key role in thinking, decision making, learning and problem solving. Lack of sleep can totally hinder cognitive processes in many ways, especially during a pandemic, when important decisions may need to be made for self and family. It can lead to forgetfulness, impaired judgement, anxiety, and depression, making one prone to accidents too.
- Sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue and stress. This can become a major risk factor for serious medical problems like heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke, and Diabetes.
Good sleep keeps the mind sound and the body strong. During the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone must understand the importance of a regular sleep schedule, which should be a priority to guard. This could prove to be a key contributor to keeping oneself and loved ones healthy, both physically and mentally.