The increase in insomnia in quarantine times is evident, Dr. César González, a somnologist psychiatrist at the Medical Center, expresses a significant increase in the reason for his patient consultations, which are related to lack of sleep, problems with falling asleep sleep until the complete absence of sleep.
Insomnia is a disorder characterized by the ability to initiate or maintain sleep and which negatively affects the patient’s daytime functioning. Of many forms of insomnia, the most common is chronic insomnia that lasts longer than three months, says the specialist. Its prevalence is approximately 10% of the population, sharing frequency between men and women, being more frequent in older people.
It is a reality that insomnia has increased at this time, due to the high levels of anxiety and fears that the general population develops, the uncertainty of the future and the economic burdens and work of many people, the fear of contagion, impotence to solve some situations, among others. Added to this is the loss of work routines, altering the so-called sleep-wake cycle that allows the circadian rhythm (biological clock that governs sleep) to be altered.
Dr. César González, a somnologist psychiatrist at the Medical Center, refers to a series of recommendations to control or manage insomnia, they are related to sleep hygiene, which help to improve habits and behaviors that perpetuate sleep problems. It is recommended to use relaxation and/or meditation techniques as a mechanism to induce sleep, there are behavioral psychological therapies and sometimes it is necessary to medicate some people as an extreme measure to achieve sleep. This should only be done by a doctor with training and experience in sleep medicine.
The Medical Center shares recommendations to avoid insomnia and other sleep disorders that occur at this time where anxiety and anguish increases.
- Use the bed only for sleeping. Avoid resting, reading or watching TV lying down
- If you can’t fall asleep after half an hour, get out of bed and do something very boring.
- Maintain previous sleep schedules. Give yourself a time to go to bed and a time to get up.
- Maintain a daily busy routine.
- Do moderate exercise in the morning and maximum at noon. Do not do the exercise at night because it can increase insomnia.
- Avoid stimulating drinks during the day. (Coffee, tea, dark drinks)
- Don’t take long naps.
- Eat little at night, but don’t go to bed hungry.
- A short, warm shower before bed can help improve sleep.
These measures apply to any cause of insomnia and must be strictly followed, its results will be seen after a few days of application.