Quarantine Leading to Insomnia
If you have been struggling with sleep since quarantine and lockdown started, you are most definitely not alone. You can head over to social media and see the countless individuals sharing their struggles with problems falling asleep, lack of sleep or even vivid dreams. It isn’t uncommon for change or stress to cause sleeplessness, but with a whole world going through a pandemic and constant news coverage flowing in, insomnia has become the norm. Despite this, instead of getting used to it, we should be figuring out a way around these sleepless nights before we lose ourselves in the madness. The hard thing about insomnia is it’s a two way street for mental health. While stress, anxiety or depression can cause insomnia, insomnia can cause stress, anxiety and depression. Making it a rollercoaster of negative emotion that could feel never-ending. So, why can’t we seem to get passed it? There are a few specific causes for insomnia, however, everyone is different and finding out your own cause it of the utmost importance.
Causes
• An overactive mind, or monkey mind in Buddhism, refers to an unsettled, restless or uncontrollable mind. Research indicates that most people blame an overactive mind for their insomnia.
• When we are stressed, our body releases a hormone called cortisol which is also known as the stress hormone. These hormones throw us into fight or flight mode, increasing heart rate, increasing sugar in our bloodstream and of course, preventing our minds from resting.
• Health or medical conditions can also cause insomnia.
• In these trying times, if the above doesn’t exactly apply to you, then the most likely reason can just be life stressors. Job loss, financial stress, relationship stress or family stress can all be triggered or made worse throughout these conditions. Working from home, teaching from home, learning from home or whatever you are doing during the day from home, means you don’t have much of an external reality to balance out your internal life. Your routine is completely thrown off, and you may be forced to feel things, see things or be in situations that you make you feel unsafe. When we don’t feel safe in our lives or don’t feel safe in our mind and body, they begin working hard to find ways to try to get us feeling safe again. Although an efficient mechanism, it places us into a physiological and mental overdrive and forces us off balance. Although a process, rebalancing will begin with baby steps and patience. If we can put the right mind, body and life practices into play, we can start to work on making things better. Below are some ways to bring us back into balance again
1. Practice Peace
Work on not judging yourself or being harsh on yourself for whatever situation you are dealing with. It's significant to understand that in times of toughness, some people speed up and keep themselves busy, others slow down and go into hermit mode. Both are perfectly normal ways to deal with the circumstances and making sure your mind and body understand that is incredibly important.
Start with meditation or other mindfulness practices. Slow yourself down, clear your mind and work on creating peace wherever you can. Becoming centered will lead to huge changes in your overall wellbeing.
2. Body Practice
Going for a walk, breathing practices, massages, stretching, yoga or any exercise that makes you feel good. Just as you would centre your mind, centering your body is just as important. Find whatever thing it is that makes your body happy and do it consistently. Add it to your routine. A morning routine is best since it will set the tone for your day. Make it a priority. Find a way to make it work and make it pleasant for you.
3. Resolving Issues
Always easier said than done, but doing your best to resolve any issues you have could make a world of difference. See the bigger picture, make healthier choices, be patient as your work towards your goals, be grateful for what you have and take daily steps to create what you want or need.
Insomnia is a tough condition to overcome, but it is doable by creating a safe environment for your mind and body. It will take making some proactive changes to your daily routine and practice. But with some baby steps and some patience, it is easily achievable. Don’t look to the top of the mountain where the achievement of your goals are. Look at your feet in front of you and take the very next step.