COVID – Nita Naturale

Don’t ignore sleep problem during COVID-19 lockdown

Nita — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 15:09:01 +0000

Recently I have noticed that I am not feeling fresh enough during the daytime and often get irritated at the small deviation of regular work. This mood alteration is new to me. Initially, I thought, might be I become boredom from the current lockdown situation, which is the new normal of COVID-19. But I become worried when this incidence has repeated frequently. I have started researching the reason behind this, and I found may my sleep cycle is not completed.

It is true COVID-19 itself is a fatal infection. But the precautionary measures which we follow currently to save ourselves from this infectious disease can bring many abnormal physical or psychological conditions. Therefore, we should not ignore any physiological changes during this lockdown. These might be an indication of an early stage of the disease that can impact our present and future days also.

How we fall asleep?

When we sleep our internal clock is ticking continuously and regulates a definite pattern of brain wave. Normally, the sleep cycle pattern alters with age. But non-REM and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phases are two general phases of sleep. The duration of each phase usually lasts for approximately 90 minutes. Further, the non-REM phase is divided into four stages.

During stage one and stage two are the phases when our body is prepared to fall asleep by reducing eye movement. Gradually brain waves start to slow down.
During stages three and four, the brain has started generating delta waves to induce deeper and restorative sleep to relieve and repair our body tissues.

All our dreams come at the REM phase when our brain becomes active and cardiovascular activity is also recharged. This phase plays a role in mood swings as well as cognitive and emotional performances.

What factors negatively affect our sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Most of us have experience of struggling for sleep during visiting an outstation. Even drinking alcohol consumption, noisy environment, shifting of duty and certain medication intake often hampers our sleep. Even too much stress, anxiety also negatively impact our sleep. Several researchers have already identified that the current COVID-19 epidemic has an association with anxiety, distress, depression, sleep disorders, and suicidality along with a significant reduction of positive emotions and life satisfaction. Leo Sher, an author of a recently published article in Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection journal reported that a combination of anxiety and stress could reduce sleep quality. [1]

Before this lockdown, people do not have any idea how difficult to perform work from home job. In a lockdown, many of us used to go to bedpost midnight. We have the realization that this hampers the sleep schedule. But COVID-19 brings fear of job insecurity, financial crunch, and worry about family/friends security. All these thoughts bring sleepless nights. [2] Not only the general population but even healthcare staffs also unable to manage their psychological stress in this COVID-19 pandemic condition.

Evidential support

Chinese research was conducted on 1250 healthcare professionals to check their mental status. The result showed that the 34.0% of the study participants had insomnia. [1] Therefore, treatment of sleep disorder is a vital requirement to avoid psychiatric disorders symptoms like depression and other serious mental illnesses that aggravate suicidality. [1]

The Times of India also reported a study result conducted by Wakefit.co on 14th April 2020. According to this report, 67% of Indians who had participated in this research used to go to the bed before 11 pm were started to sleep after 11 pm during this lockdown. [2]

Not only Asian countries but the sleep disorder due to stay-at-home orders is markedly noticed in Europe and America also. The journal Current Biology reported that lockdown might increase the duration of sleep time, but the quality of sleep had declined. [3]

One of my friends called up me a few days back and she compliant that she felt whole day sleepy, but her duration of sleep increased as compared with prior COVID insufficient sleeping hours or poor quality of sleep not only negatively affect our mental health, but increase the risk of unexplained weight gain, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. [3]

What are the recommended lifestyle measures that can improve the sleep cycle?

List down thoughts

During our bedtime, lots of thoughts pop up in our minds. Instead of thinking this to-do list in your mind, right those in a small writing pad. We often repeatedly think the same things for remembering them. But if we write it down, then the chance of forgetfulness will be minimized. This will help you to reduce start thinking and rethinking positive and negative aspects of those thoughts at bedtime. [4]

Pleasant Room temperature

Usually, pleasant room temperature lies between 180C to 240C. Therefore, set proper cooling technique in your bedroom, because favorable room temperature helps us to fall asleep. [4]

Avoid digital device at bedtime

Currently, work home habit gives us relaxation to wake up late in the morning.

We often spent our night hours surfing the net, chat with friends, or watching movies on Netflix or other sites. Our most common excuse to spend late-night screen time is – do not feel sleepy, then why should we go to bed early?

But we do not realize that nocturnal screen time causes unnecessary light exposure stimulates psychological activity that delays the time to fall asleep. [5] Therefore, start to say strict ‘no’ to watch television, mobile phone, or working on a laptop before bedtime.

Revive bedtime book reading habit

Go back to your childhood and start reading books at bedtime. Reading books at bedtime may old fashion, but ideal to feel sleepy. The added advantage of this step is to inspire other family members, especially your kids to develop the same habit also.

Breath in fresh air

After dinner, got to the terrace, or balcony for at least 10 minutes of brisk walking. This will help you to inhale fresh air which is essential for proper blood circulation in your brain and supply oxygen. This will help to reduce sleep disturbance. [4]

Join online yoga session

Gym and other fitness clubs do not get permission to open full-fledge till now. In such a situation, people can join an online yoga session to maintain the regularity of physical activity. Most of us know the benefits of yoga to alleviate different disorders, including sleep disturbance.

In 2013, the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative medicine published a research result to provide evidence of long term yoga practice that could impart good quality sleep in elderly individuals. Both Asana, pranayama improve sleep quality. [6] More than 15 years back, a preliminary study result also stated that simple regular yoga practice could treat chronic insomnia by correcting the delayed onset of sleep and sustaining phases of sleep. [7] The Harvard Medical School recommended some yoga postures for better sleep include Balasana, Uttanasana, Ardha Uttanasana, Supta Baddha Konasana, Viparita Karani, and Savasana. If you know these postures, then you can try these at your home. [8]

Herbal remedies to treat mild insomnia

GABAergic herbs like Kava root (Piper methysticum), jujube seed (Zizyphus jujube), Pine leaves (Pinus massoniana), Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and whole plant of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) increases GABA level in the brain to induce sleep. [9]
Griffonia seed (Griffonia Simplicifolia) is a natural supplement of 5 -Hydroxytryptophan and is used to increase the synthesis of serotonin in the brain. This herbal ingredient has many health benefits like effective treatment of uncomplicated insomnia. [10]

Incorporation of herbs and Superfood improve the sleep cycle

Some available kitchen herbs and Superfoods like black pepper leaf, bulb of white radish, fenugreek seeds, almond, fennel seed, poppy seeds, sweet cherries, Grapevine fruit, Strawberry, Pomegranate are a source of melatonin. Eat rice, corn, oats meal to increase the melatonin supply in your body. [11] A Review report supported that melatonin could improve the sleep cycle by reducing the time to fall asleep. [12]
During this lockdown, include broad bean, chestnut, hyacinth bean in your recipes to reduce sleep problems naturally. These plant-based food are natural sources of ornithine. [13] A human trial result reported that ornithine supplement is an effective treatment to relieve stress and improve sleep quality. [14]
It is not new that green tea is a healthy substitute for milk tea, which we usually prefer to drink. But Green tea is a rich source of L-Theanine. Usually, tea is not a suitable beverage for those who have sleep deprivation issues. [15] L-Theanine acts as a stress reliever. Supplementation of this phytochemical for four weeks could improve the sleep quality index and reduced sleep medication intake rate. [16]
I recommend readers who have disturbed sleep, drink lemon balm green tea. A combination of GABA and l-theanine act synergistically to improve sleep quality by reducing sleep latency and increase sleep duration. [17]
To prepare this recipe, mix chopped lemon balm and green tea in a 5:1 ratio and add into boiling water. [17] Turn off the flame and cover the vessel for 10 minutes. Then enjoy your hot herbal tea. You can add one teaspoon of honey to improve its taste. But if you are a hypothyroid patient and administer any thyroid medication, then talk with your doctor before incorporating lemon balm in your diet. Lemon balm can interact with certain thyroid medications.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195057/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/work/work-from-home-is-making-67-indian-suffer-from-sleep-deprivation-says-study/articleshow/75126242.cms
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200610112107.htm
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1270239/sleep-lockdown-how-to-fix-sleep-cycle-tips
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839336/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3667430/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10484-004-0387-0
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/8753-201512048753
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4023459/
http://www.ijplsjournal.com/issues%20PDF%20files/july2010/8..pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678868/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273450/
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-Ornithine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055948/
https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/2/2/13/htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836118/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6366437/

How to deal with screen addiction during Covid19 lockdown to bring back family happiness?

Nita — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:47:33 +0000

During the Covid19 lockdown, people have limited access to entertain themselves except screen addiction. Clinically, addiction is a disease condition that occurs due to repeated use of foreign substances, mainly addictive drugs that encounter the brain. But I believe addiction is a disorder of choice.

We did not realize the importance of an organized lifestyle, which we followed before the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial phase of lockdown brought lots of changes in our thought. We realized our home is the safest place. And our family members are our best friends. To inspire others, we have started capturing and uploading pictures of our different happy family moments and commenting on posts of others on social media platforms. But we do not realize when it becomes a habit of many of us to stay online for a prolonged period. We used to catch up with our old friends on other social media platforms. Our connections are increasing day by day during this lockdown. Many of us installed different OTT channels on smartphones and SmartTV. ‘Financial Express’ reported a 60% growth in Amazon and Netflix subscriber base during this lockdown. [1]

‘Work from Home’ has become a trend and necessity during the Covid19 lockdown. Many organizations are allowing their employees to serve their job from home. This is a huge opportunity to earn money safely in this pandemic condition. Kids are doing school from their home through e-learning so that their education should not be bothered. But on the other side ‘Work from Home’, ‘e-school’ reduce traveling time, social interactions, and also disturb routine timetable. But we do not realize, ‘Work from Home’, ‘e-school’ trend already increase our screen time, then why should we spend our additional hours on screen. We often scold our children why they playing games on mobile, PC or laptop. But have we, adults comprehend how much time we spend on screen in this lockdown?

Is increasing screen time as serious as an addiction?

Spending screen time for a prolonged time can be classified under behavioral addictions. General people know the consequence of drug addiction, but their screen loving attitude may not know how harmful it is. The popularity of smartphone, Smart TV has a deep correlation with addiction. Most of the addicted people unable to control their behavior due to internal drive which inspires one to give priority to that substance and ignoring other activities. Currently in many families facing issues due to screen addiction symptoms of their loved ones. Frequent irritability due to alteration of mood, relatively low tolerance, salience, conflict, withdrawal symptoms, and relapse are addiction symptoms common problems of many families occur due to increase screen time. [2]

People stay at the same house, but instead of talking with each other, giving priority to the screen should not be a new normal. I know many of us may not take this seriously or think this is part of life in this social distancing moment. But ignoring addiction symptoms may create a new problem in the post-pandemic world.

I am very much optimistic about medical advancement and believe soon we will get the victory over COVID-19. But during this tough period, we must be more concerned about our current lifestyle, because this will negatively impact our post-pandemic health. Excessive screen time not only hampers mental well-being but can cause physical illness like backache, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, headaches, insomnia, dry eyes and other vision problems, poor nutrition due to unmindful eating habit, weight gain or loss, poor personal hygiene due to using a mobile phone in the bathroom. [3]

How to diagnose?

I know if you tell any of your family members that he or she is screen-addicted, they will not believe you and may accuse you of the prejudice. Even you may be concerned about your screen-time. Like any other ill-health condition, screen addiction requires proper diagnosis. The following are five indications of screen addiction:

Constant thinking about past and future utilization of screen activities related to the internet, OTT platform, or others.
The increasing rate of screen time to gain satisfaction
Unable to control repeated use of screen
Attempt to control screen use leads to depression, irritability, or mood swing
Increasing online activities than the previous practice

How to deal with screen addiction and normalize family life?

Not even me, the general population also have a belief that loss of self-control and free will are two factors that inspire one to get addicted. Therefore, self-control and some extent of restriction of free will in our lifestyle can prevent and treat addiction. Everybody loves to add fun to their lifestyle so that our daily life would not be boring. I am sharing some funny lifestyle measures, which will not only help you to stay away from the screen but also improve your overall well-being during this lockdown.

Gardening

Gardening is a therapy that provides effective health outcomes at multiple levels. Gardening is a rehabilitation tool clinically applied for a personal change of addicted persons. Research evidence has proven that connectedness to nature triggers the positive emotions of the addicted person. [4]

The warm and sunny climate is perfect for gardening. It not only enhances the natural beauty of the home but also helps you to reduce depression, anxiety symptoms. Gardening improves life satisfaction, quality of life, and a sense of community, which are essential to cope up with the present situation. [5] You can select certain herbs like lemon balm, sweet basil, chili pepper for the kitchen garden. Whereas sunflower, lavender are some plants perfect for terrace gardening. They not only enhance the attractiveness of your garden but also have various medicinal benefits. If you do not have enough place in your home, do not worry! Pot gardening, bottle gardening are other options to deal with a screen addiction problem.

Diary writing

Addiction often diminishes the ability to express your feeling with others. Instead of taking verbal mode, start writing your feeling when you feel the urge to sit in front of your digital device. In such a condition, I recommend diary writing is to express your thoughts when you may feel lost and try to recover yourself. Because writing is the best way to communicate when an addicted person does not have control over words and creates unnecessary chaos in the family. Diary writing will also help you to capture this unforgettable condition when every individual is afraid of a Coronavirus attack. This will also help you to intact your feelings years after years. Here I also want to mention that you can also mentally and spiritually emancipate through passionate writing. [6]

Music therapy

Listening to music is an effective entrainment medium than abusing screen time. Replacing screen timing with an audio device is a smart decision to avoid boredom in this lockdown. Listening to music or playing music enhances dopamine secretion in the brain and can give an equivalent mental satisfaction of enjoyment. Also, the endorphins release helps to balance emotion. The benefit of listening to music also controls hypertension due to its vasodilatory effect. [7]

Opt for Off-screen activities

Before this lockdown, we did not have much time to spent in our home with our family members due to our busy work schedule. Then why should we waste this time by unnecessarily keeping ourselves busy in front of the screen? Generally, most of us have some hobbies, but we often don’t want to invest time in it. Most interestingly, many of us even do not know our hobbies, as many things remain unexplored in our life due to lack of time. Therefore, it is the right time to explore those regular activities that could make you happy. I suggest do it for your own, but not for social media posting to get appreciation. I recommend this as you do so, soon you become more conscious, which creates mental pressure that will never be your me-time. Some of you may find some surprising changes within you. Previously, you might have some different thoughts about your hobby, but when you explore those, unable to find the expected mental pleasure as you feel earlier. Our mind and body evolve with time, you may feel happiness after playing sports, but currently, when you try to play table tennis in your home you do not find that spark. You need to give some more time to redevelop your interest. In such condition, involve your family, may your child inspire you to play again. I also suggest exploring new things and discover yourself to resolve screen addiction. I believe the quality of life is not always a health-related term, but it about how much quality time we spent in our life. Positive thoughts during this lockdown can be the best time if you spent quality time with your family by maintaining social distancing.

During this Coronavirus pandemic, we have to stay at our home as much as possible to stay away from this virus. In this situation, cleaning and sanitizing your home is a very important job. Apart from this, sit with your family members and plan some home décor tasks to make your home cozier.
Practice yoga with your family is the ultimate healthful practice. But I know your children may not interest to do so regularly and gradually you also feel demotivated. If you losing interest to perform yoga or aerobic session every day, then dance with your family with some funny moves. I am sure, this will not only help to manage weight but also freshen-up your mind. I am sure your children also enjoy this activity and inspire you to maintain regularity.
Utilize this period to spread our traditional folklore to our next generation by learning and teaching thoseFolklore together by reading books, but not e-books or listening but not watching them in a suitable device.
We are mainly concern about our physical and mental health. But spiritual health is equally important for overall well-being. Set a time duration as a family-divine time to improve the spiritual health of your family. And practice it even after everything will become normalized.
We all believe, soon the time will come when we can go out without masks. Do not miss this time and inspire each other to the care of skin and hair so that your neighbors feel jealous of your natural makeover by effectively utilizing this time, but not wasting time to spending time on screen.

The above is some of my mantras which can help you to bring your family harmony. It is always welcome if you invent some more tips to get yourself busy without spending unnecessary screen time.

References

https://www.financialexpress.com/brandwagon/amazon-and-netflix-witnessed-more-than-60-growth-in-subscriber-base-during-lockdown-velocity-mr-study/1965362/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325744681_Is_smartphone_addiction_really_an_addiction
https://www.psycom.net/iadcriteria.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321134657_The_use_of_sensory_perception_of_plants_in_horticultural_therapy_of_alcohol_addiction_Journal_of_Therapeutic_Horticulture_272_-_2017_ISSN_2381-5337
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335516301401
https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/articles/how-writing-assist-recovery/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4040058/