Here’s How to Sleep Better as COVID-19 Messes Up Our Sleep

The COVID-19 pandemic is still disrupting an essential component of healthy living: a good night’s sleep.

In a July survey of 2,000 adults, released Sept. 13 by Harris Poll on behalf of Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, about 18% of respondents said they are getting less sleep now than they were before the pandemic, while 19% said they have trouble sleeping because they are worried or stressed (about COVID-19, politics or other factors). At least at the university, this has led to a skyrocketing demand for help; In 2021, the Ohio State Medical Center received about 29% more referrals for treating insomnia compared to 2018, says Dr. Aneesa Das, sleep specialist and professor of internal medicine there.

Stress can disrupt sleep, Das says, because it can increase heart rate and blood pressure, upset the stomach, and tighten muscles. But the survey also points to another problem: poor sleep habits, including using phones before bed, sleeping at irregular times, and spending too much time in the bedroom. The challenge, Das says, is that these habits threaten important factors in healthy sleep, including exposure to light at the right time and maintaining a regular sleep schedule.

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Some of this, Das says, is because many people do the wrong things to unwind for sleep. In the survey, 47% of respondents say they use their phone before bed, and 37% fall asleep with the TV on. “People often do both to distract themselves,” says Das. “But bright light is actually stimulating and diminishes the bedroom’s association with sleep.”

The disruption to people’s daily routines from the pandemic may also have impacted sleep, Das says. COVID-19 has forced many people to quit their jobs or work from home, giving them more control over when they go to sleep and when they wake up. But not getting the same hours of sleep every night can make it harder to fall asleep, Das says. During the pandemic, people may also have started spending too much time indoors without adequate sun exposure (although this wasn’t measured in the survey). It becomes particularly problematic, Das says, when they spend more time in their bedrooms. “Waking up, putting the laptop on the bed, and working from home are probably the worst things we can do to cause insomnia.”

If you’re having trouble sleeping, Das suggests rethinking your sleep habits. Your bedroom should be cool (ideally with a temperature in the upper 60’s), dark and quiet, and it should only be used for sleeping and intimacy. Your daily routine can also have a big impact on your sleep: Exercising, spending time in the sun during the day, cutting off caffeine after 2 p.m., and maintaining regular sleep and wake times can help, Das says. To help her own sleep, Das says she likes to make a to-do list so she feels ready for the day ahead, and she takes a two-mile walk daily.

While changing habits (or skipping your afternoon coffee) can be difficult, improving your sleep can have major benefits for your physical and mental health. Poor sleep has been linked to a range of conditions, from a higher risk of stroke and heart disease to an increased susceptibility to obesity and depression.

And while the pandemic has messed up sleep schedules, getting good sleep could help people become more resilient to its effects. Studies have shown that people who get a bad night’s sleep have an even worse immune response to vaccines, Das says. Although this hasn’t been studied with the Omicron booster, Das notes, “I can assure you, what I say to my kids is, ‘Before you get your booster shot, we want to make sure you’re getting a good night’s sleep.'”

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