In the current climate of pandemic stress, it can be difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Our daily routines have shifted dramatically, so it makes sense that our sleep patterns will be disrupted. Insomnia can be acute or chronic and can result in you being unable to sleep at night, having broken sleep resulting in tiredness throughout the day, or only be able to sleep at strange hours because your body clock has gone haywire.

It’s crucial to ensure that you don’t succumb to insomnia and let it rule your life. It will have a massive impact on your health, your appearance, and your mood. You won’t be motivated to get up in the morning because you are so tired, your skin will become greasy and pale, and you will be in a constant state of anxiety. Many insomniacs state that their waking lives feel like dreams because they are not fully lucid. Before allowing your lack of sleep to take over your existence, you need to try these tactics to help rest your weary bones once again.

Routine

The most critical aspect of sleep is developing a routine. Working from home during Covid-19, the worries that a pandemic can cause and not knowing what day it is during a lockdown can make developing any sort of sleep routine challenging. Think about what relaxes you and calms you down, especially if you have been watching rolling news twenty-four seven. For at least two hours before you go to bed, the news needs to be turned off. This is too stimulating and can cause panic. Instead, watch the latest episode of your favorite box set. Or, better still, read a book. The pattern of reading can help your brain to wind down, leading you into a calmer mental state just before you hit the sack.

You might even choose to read a book in the bath. A long hot soak in the tub releases endorphins and the happy hormone dopamine. This negates the stimulating effects of cortisone, meaning that you have a better chance of getting a good night’s sleep. Don’t eat before bed and cut down on the caffeine. A cup of coffee just before you head to your bedroom is not a good idea. You don’t need a perk-me-up at night. Try to do the same things every evening to develop a pattern that your brain gets used to. This will help you to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Social Media

The power of social media is immense, especially at a time of crisis. It can become a crutch that we rely on as we scroll mindlessly for hours through our Facebook feeds and Twitter pages looking for something to cheer us up. Those funny kitten videos are cute, but they aren’t the best way to spend your free time. Instead, think about having a social media curfew. Detox is best but often won’t work because it can be difficult to go cold turkey.

Set a curfew around three hours before you are due to hit the sack. This means that you won’t be heading onto your tablet or reaching for your smartphone to check how many likes your photo has. And, it isn’t just social media that you need to banish before bed. Any small screens that require concentration to focus on are out of the question. Put the laptop away and read a real-life book rather than an e-reader. The pixellated screens and blue light can overstimulate our minds and result in us being too alert before bedtime.

Your Beauty Regime

Try not to stress too much about how your lack of sleep is affecting your skin or your complexion. When thinking about how to get rid of bags under your eyes, you can use a micellar water-based serum to soothe, and you can use a concealer to hide them. However, the dark circles under your eyes will only fully go away when you have honed a better sleep routine. 

If you find that you are too tired to put much effort into your beauty regime, fall back on the rule of three. Exfoliate, wash, and moisturize. This way, you are caring for your skin, but you don’t have to worry about blocked pores and an oily forehead. Your confidence can take a hit when you have insomnia. You won’t feel as alert as you usually do, you will worry about your performance at work, and you will not feel like your old self. Keep your beauty regime simple and don’t put too much pressure on your appearance.

Get Outside During The Day

While you won’t want to be outdoors in the middle of the night (you should be in bed), heading outside during the day can have a beneficial impact on your sleep pattern in the early hours. Often insomnia affects not just how many hours sleep you are getting but also the quality of the sleep you are enjoying. Natural sunlight helps you to absorb more Vitamin D and can set your body clock onto a more even keel by stimulating the hypothalamus in your brain.

Getting outside and being more at one with nature is also good for the soul. It has been scientifically proven that heading for a stroll in the park or spending some time outdoors around trees and foliage is a natural stress reliever. Your mind will relax a little as your blood pressure lowers, and your head becomes less full of worries.

Consider utilizing some outdoor time to do something that you love. If you enjoy reading, head into the garden with a good book. If you enjoy a spin class at the gym, swap the indoor bike for some outdoor cycling. This can be more invigorating than a static spin class. By morphing some indoor hobbies into outdoor pursuits, you can find that your sleep routine falls back into a natural rhythm.

Insomnia affects most people at some point in their lives. Hopefully, it remains an acute episode due to trauma or an event, and it passes quickly. Unfortunately, for some people, it becomes a chronic condition that affects every aspect of life. Follow this guide and beat insomnia by following these simple steps.