>>>
>>> GETTING GOOD SLEEP IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE STRESS OF
COVID-19 HAS AFFECTED OUR SLEEP
AND EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE.
SO WE ASKED IF THIS IS A GLOBAL
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. >> NOT AT ALL.
WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING SOME
DIFFERENCES IN OUR ROUTINES AND
WE ARE BEING EXPOSED TO TO A
DIFFERENT VARIETY OF STIMULUS
AND ACTIVITIES EVERY DAY, AND
ALL OF THAT, ALONG WITH THE
ANGST OF LIVING THROUGH A
PANDEMIC CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS
WITH SLEEP.>> WERE NOT WRONG TO
BE WORRIED ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.
THERE IS ANXIETY THAT COMES
WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIVING
WITH ANXIETY ALREADY.
AND ALL OF THAT WILL IMPACT
YOUR SLEEP FIRST, AM I RIGHT?>>
HAVING WORRIES AND ANXIETIES IS
A COMMON CAUSE FOR HAVING SLEEP
ISSUES.
ISSUES.
ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A SELF-
PERPETUATING THING WHERE IF YOU
DON'T SLEEP, IT IS HARDER TO
REGULATE YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR
MOOD THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND IF
YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH ANXIETY,
IT LEADS TO BAD SLEEPING.
IT CAN BE A CYCLE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE ARE
THINGS THAT WE CAN ALL DO AND
EXPERTS THAT REFERRED TO
GUIDELINES CALLED SLEEP HYGIENE.
THEY ARE EASY TO TRY AND THINGS
THAT WILL HELP.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR
FALLING ASLEEP AND FOR THOSE OF
US WHO WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT READY TO ROLL
ACCIDENTALLY AND HOW WE GET
BACK TO SLEEP.
>> IN TERMS OF FALLING ASLEEP,
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS TAKE
SOME TIME TO WIND DOWN AT THE
END OF THE DAY.
TRY TO AVOID GOAL ORIENTED
PROJECTS CLOSE TO BEDTIME AND
GIVE YOURSELF 20 TO 30 MINUTES
TO DO MORE QUIET ACTIVITIES.
THINGS LIKE READING A BOOK OR
LISTENING TO QUIET MUSIC.
I LIKE TO CLEAN UP MY KITCHEN
AND PUT MY KITCHEN TO BED
BEFORE I TAKE MYSELF TO BED.
SO HAVE A NICE ROUTINE.
THEN, KEEP YOUR BEDROOM AS A
PLACE FOR RELAXATION AND TRY
NOT TO WORK OR EAT OR WATCH TV
IN YOUR BEDROOM.
ANOTHER THING IS TO GET
EXERCISE EVERY DAY.
EVEN 20 TO 30 MINUTES OF A WALK
IS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER SLEEP
QUALITY AND QUANTITY.
AVOID ALCOHOL AND STIMULANTS
CLOSE TO BEDTIME.
SO NO CAFFEINE AFTER LUNCH AND
NO NIGHT CAPS CLOSE TO BEDTIME.
WHEN YOU DO WAKE UP, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO HAVE PRACTICES
THAT ARE FAMILIAR TO YOU THAT
HELP YOU UNHOOK FROM YOUR
RACING MIND.
RACING MIND. SO MAYBE A LIST THAT HELPS YOU
PROCESS THINGS. THOSE CAN HELP
REASSURE YOUR MIND, AND THEN
THAT FACILITATES US RETURNING
TO SLEEP.
TO SLEEP.
TO SLEEP. >> THAT RESTLESS MIND, I THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THAT
AND THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO OR YOU'RE
NOT SURE ABOUT, IT TAKES ON A
LIFE OF ITS OWN.>> IT IS HARD
TO TELL YOUR MIND TO STOP. I
LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE WHO DON'T
LIKE THE VOID THAT IT IS NICE
TO GIVE YOURSELF SOMETHING TO DO
THAT IS QUIET.
SO THAT IS WHERE COUNTING SHEEP
COMES FROM.
COMES FROM. IF YOU WAKE UP AND YOU CANNOT
RETURNED TO SLEEP DO A TASK
LIKE COUNTING BACKWARDS OR
RECITING SOMETHING.
RECITING SOMETHING. SOME PEOPLE RECOMMEND DOING A
SEQUENTIAL HEAD TO TOE
RELAXATION IN YOUR MIND WILL
DRIFT BACK TO THOUGHTS BUT
BRING IT BACK TO THE BORING TASK
, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP
YOU TO FALSELY.>> I KNOW WE ARE
ON DIFFERENT ROUTINES NOW AND
WE DON'T GET UP AND GO TO WORK
AND DO THE THINGS THAT
REGULATED OUR DAYS.
AND I'M EXPERIENCING THIS JUST
VIVID DREAMS.
VIVID DREAMS. IS THAT COMMON?
>> WE ARE HEARING A LOT ABOUT
WHAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING COVID
DREAMS.
DREAMS.
DREAMS. THESE ARE NOT THE DREAMS THAT
THEY HAVE WHEN THEY HAVE COVID-
19, BUT THEY ARE CHARACTERISTIC
DREAMS THAT HAVE COMMON
ELEMENTS.
ELEMENTS.
ELEMENTS. I AM NOT A DREAM EXPERT, BUT
WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS THAT
PEOPLE ARE RECALLING DREAMS
MORE OFTEN SO WE REMEMBER THEM
WHEN WE WAKE UP AND THEY TEND
TO BE MORE UNUSUAL DREAMS AND
HAVE VERY OBSCURE IMAGERY,
WHICH IS REALLY SURPRISING.
WE KNOW THAT DREAMS ARE WHERE WE
PROCESS OUR IN TENTS EMOTIONS,
ALMOST ALWAYS -ONES AND THE
REASON WE ARE HAVING MORE
DREAMS OR REMEMBERING THEM MORE
OFTEN IS WE ARE LIVING THROUGH
TIME OF UNCERTAINTY AND THAT
CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DREAMS.
BUT WE ARE ALSO LIVING IN A TIME
WHEN WE ARE NOT GOING OUTSIDE
IS MUCH AND NOT DOING THE
VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WE ARE
USED TO DOING AND THE RANGE OF
STIMULUS IS VERY NARROW.
SO OUR BRAIN IS REACHING INTO
THE MORE OBSCURE CORNERS OF OUR
BRAINS AND SO DREAMS CAN BE
ALARMING AND STRANGE.
BUT THAT IS SOME OF THE
REASONING THAT WE THINK THAT
DREAMS OF CHANGED.>> LAST NIGHT
I WAS RIDING A HORSE BY MYSELF
IN THE DESERT.
THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN
SLEEP AND GOOD MENTAL HEALTH.
AND YOU SAID WE JUST DON'T WAKE
UP RIGHT WHEN WE ARE DEPRIVED
OF SLEEP.
OF SLEEP.
OF SLEEP. WHEN WE SEEK HELP FROM A
PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR OR A
PROFESSIONAL SLEEP SPECIALIST?
>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
ANYONE WHO IS HAVING TROUBLE
SHOULD TRY SOME OF THE TIPS
THAT WE MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF
THE DISCUSSION.
THE DISCUSSION. THEY ARE EASY AND ACCESSIBLE
FOR ALL OF US TO TRY.
BUT BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF
BECAUSE YOU DON'T TRY ONE NIGHT
AND IT WILL FIX EVERYTHING.
IT IS A PROCESS SO GIVE
YOURSELF SOME SPACE.
IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS
AFTER THAT, THEN START WITH A
PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR. MOST OF
THAT CAN BE DONE BY YOUR
PHYSICIAN AND THEY CAN REFER YOU
TO SLEEP EXPERT IF YOU NEED ONE.
>> WE WILL TRY TO REST EASY.
THANK YOU.>> ALL RIGHT.
>> TO GET IN