![]() ![]() The wellness community has a tremendous opportunity to educate people about sleep and help them make lasting changes to their sleep routines, for the benefit of their emotional and physical health, their longevity, their quality of life. There is-and will continue to be-an urgent unmet need to provide education and guidance to address sleep problems. The sleep difficulties unleashed and exacerbated by the pandemic will not disappear, even after Covid-19 has been controlled. Not surprisingly, research has found the escalation of sleep troubles in the pandemic is associated with higher levels of psychological distress.ĭisrupted sleep often takes on a life of its own and persists even after the factors that trigger its onset have been resolved. And another recent study identified a significant rise in prescriptions for z-hypnotics, benzodiazepines and serotonergic medications that are prescribed for insomnia as well as anxiety and depression. One recent study found an increase of 20% in consumption of sleep medications since the onset of the pandemic. Research also indicates there’s been a significant rise in the use of sleep medication during the pandemic. Multistudy, multination research analyses have found that more than a third to more than a half of the global population is experiencing problems with sleep. The pandemic has brought a new, disturbing surge in sleep problems. Insomnia and other forms of disrupted sleep already existed at epidemic levels before the Covid-19 pandemic began. Poor sleep-even a single night of it-directly affects the aging of our cells and increases the activity of genes that drive cellular aging. Poor sleep increases inflammation, which is a driver of biological aging and a significant factor in age-related disease, from heart disease to cancer to neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s. When we don’t get enough consistent high-quality sleep, we miss out on the full impact of sleep’s deeply restorative powers. Cognitive and psychological health rely on the sleep phase for memory processing, hormone production and regulation, and the cellular renewal that takes place during sleep. Our nervous system moves into low resting gear, stress hormones drop to their lowest levels and our immune system reboots. Our glymphatic system-a waste clearance system in the body-goes into high gear, specifically during the sleep phase, to flush harmful waste and toxins from the brain. When we sleep, the body undertakes significant cellular repair and rejuvenation. A routine of plentiful, restful sleep helps to keep in check many of the forces that accelerate the biological aging process. Sleeping well is an integral factor in longevity and in protecting mental and physical health across our lifespan. Wellness interventions incorporating movement, nutrition, natural supplements, meditation and stress management reduce the need to turn to medication to resolve sleep problems. ![]() ![]() There is no true wellness without great sleep, and wellness practices are the ideal place to start addressing sleep issues. ![]()
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