It seems like every time you look at the television lately there’s something bad going on in the world. Whether that’s updates about the pandemic, mass shootings, police brutality, court hearings, celebrities promoting eating disorder behaviors, all of these subjects can affect your well-being.
It may seem self-explanatory that if bad things are going on in the news, then your sleep might suffer over that. Kristen Casey, a clinical psychologist and insomnia specialist, has noticed an uptick in insomnia symptoms, especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When we think about things we can’t necessarily control, our body responds in certain ways. Excessive worry or anxiety may provoke rumination, which is one of the major mechanisms in exacerbating anxiety. Anxiety keeps us up at night and may affect sleep quality,” Casey said.
In fact, anxiety (arousal) will inhibit you from a good night’s sleep, even if your circadian rhythm is set and your sleep drive is high. Therefore, it’s likely that this worry (whether we are aware of it or not) affects our sleep cycle.
But in today’s news climate, it’s unrealistic to suggest you can cut off information entirely. We know we should avoid doomscrolling, but sometimes we can’t help it. So the question becomes: How do you sleep when everything is bad? Here’s some advice:
First, rule out other health conditions
While the bad things going on around you and in the news might be affecting your sleep, there could also be underlying medical conditions that you’ll want to rule out first.
“Anxiety and depression are commonly associated with difficulty sleeping and thus should always be part of an evaluation,” said Dr. Kristin Gill, a board-certified psychiatrist and faculty member at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. “Other medical conditions that can cause difficulty sleeping that your doctor may want to evaluate you for include (but are not limited to) heart failure, hyperthyroidism, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.”
Wake up at the same time each day
Casey recommended developing a consistent sleep routine to keep your circadian rhythm on track.
“Focus on a wake time rather than a bedtime because we have more control over waking up to an alarm rather than hoping to be tired by a certain time each night,” she said. “This is helpful because when our body has a consistent cycle, then it helps with melatonin secretion at the same time each day. Then we naturally become tired and know what to expect from our bodies day to day.”