C.he the pandemic has created problems for personal balance and sleep is a fact. And not only at the psychological level, which has been talked about a lot in the last period thanks also to the support approved by the regions and the government, but also at the level of rest and personal well-being. As has been talked about for the past two years, the pandemic situation has strongly negatively influenced personal rest and the cases of insomnia have increased a lot. But now that it seems that we are emerging from the pandemic, how can we catch up on lost sleep?
Insomnia, one of the most common ailments
“After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the progressive improvement of the health situation, we are starting to focus more on the psychological distress that we had hypothesized, already in the initial stages, could emerge. T.According to numerous studies, among the forms of suffering most emerged, there is insomniaThe doctor explains Beatrice Casoni Psychiatrist and Health Director of Neurocare Bologna.
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Insomnia is not just not sleeping but also doing it badly “Insomnia is the reduction in the duration of sleep, the perception of unrefreshing sleep then waking up tired in the morning. Frequent awakenings or waking up too early in the morning are also phenomena that are part of this disorder »explains the doctor.
What caused it? «Surely during this period we have all taken on new habits and rhythms and these have had a negative impact. The alteration of the usual rhythmsincluding moving forward in bedtime, rest during the day, increased exposure to blue light devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets for both work (smart working) and leisure purposes and to maintain contact with friends and relatives who at certain times we were unable to attend, all this altered our biorhythm ».
To this are added the symptoms of Long Covid «It is now being noted that patients who have contracted the virus exhibit symptoms that can persist even for several months after the negativization and among these are also described sleep alterations“.
Get back to sleep and overcome sleep problems
So how to get out of it and how to overcome insomnia? First of all, regularity is essential “Is critical recreate the most suitable conditions to improve our sleep quality. For example, restoring regular sleep and wake rhythms, trying to respect the times you go to bed and get up on both weekdays and weekends, but also expose yourself to natural light by taking a walk in the fresh air at least half an hour every day ».
It is also important reduce exposure to blue light devices during the day, abandoning them completely at least two hours before going to sleep. Because? “Blue light reduces melatonin secretion essential to induce sleep ».
Supplements that help you sleep
Supplements that facilitate falling asleep give great help. There are mainly two types, those that help states of relaxationsuch as L-theanine, and those that they regulate the sleep-wake rhythm and the most famous is melatonin «Of which there is no optimal dosage for everyone because it must be calibrated on the individual person».
A very common mistake is in fact that of underestimate the supplement “Although supplements may appear more harmless than drugs, to untrained eyes, in reality they can cause side effects and allergies. For this reason it is always advisable to contact your doctor general practitioner or to a psychiatrist specialist before taking any substance. Maximum attention if you are already taking other drugs and products, you are suffering from diseases or during periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding »explains the expert.
Neurofeedback, what is it?
Among the innovations that help the quality of rest and promote relaxation is the neurofeedback «Un non-pharmacological, non-invasive and painless treatment which is carried out through software and has the aim of training the brain, with the help of an expert, a regularize their rhythms.
With this gradual learning process, the patient learns to regulate dysfunctional activity by improving the symptoms of various disorders, including those of sleep “concludes Dr. Casoni.
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