Celia Turiel: "The pandemic has made rest more difficult"

The coronavirus pandemic has broken into our lives affecting all areas of the day to day... including hours of rest at night.

To the need to adapt to confinement we add the health and economic crisis, and the combination of these elements has led many people to have problems sleeping.

To better understand the way in which the COVID-19 crisis has influenced insomnia processes, we spoke with psychologist Celia Turiel Trujillo, an expert in these problems.

Interview with Celia Turiel Trujillo: insomnia in times of coronavirus

Celia Turiel Trujillo is a psychologist with a consultation in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and she has been treating people of all ages for many years. In this interview she talks to us about the insomnia problems associated with the pandemic.

Could the economic crisis derived from the pandemic be the main source of insomnia among the population?

The current coronavirus pandemic has made getting a good night's rest much more difficult and economic crisis derived from it is responsible for the increase in pathologies related to the dream.

Our general sense of lack of control, worrying about whether I will keep the job or whether after the ERTE will come the dismissal, it is one of the most frequent reasons for uneasiness and restlessness.

The stress that this whole situation produces can lead to long-term mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Beyond work, what dynamics of social interaction favored by the pandemic lead to the appearance of sleep problems?

There are multiple factors at play, on the one hand our routines and daily environments have been altered, which makes it difficult to keep our circadian rhythm intact.

Before the pandemic, our days were developed in a schedule of awakenings, daily activities, breaks and sleeping hours, now with the coronavirus all that has changed.

On the other hand, due to the current circumstance, the use of new technologies has increased and has become a common way of social interaction integrated into our day-to-day lives. Thanks to new technologies we have been able to continue maintaining contact with our friends and family, without However, the use of screens before sleeping reduces the quality of sleep and has negative effects on the Health.

The problem is in the short-wave blue light that is emitted by these electronic devices. To fall asleep our body secretes melatonin, the brain begins to produce this hormone approximately two hours before we go to sleep. However, if we use electronic devices with light, the brain understands that it is still daylight and does not secrete this hormone, so we delay the onset of sleep and sleep fewer hours.

What are the short-term psychological effects of lack of sleep?

The problem with lack of sleep is that it directly affects physical and mental performance.

Sleeping has a restorative effect on our health, brain and physical tissues regenerate, if there is no rest there is no correct recovery. In the short term, the most common effects of lack of sleep are emotional changes, memory and attention problems, and a general reduction in vitality.

And in the long term, how does insomnia affect health?

Continued poor quality sleep can have serious long-term health impacts.

For example, on a mental and emotional level it can trigger anxiety, stress and depression, in addition to other consequences at a physical level such as obesity, diabetes and diseases cardiovascular

On the other hand, it increases the risk of suffering Alzheimer's.

What recommendations must be taken into account to prevent insomnia in times of COVID-19?

To improve the quality of sleep there are a series of guidelines that we can follow and thus feel more relaxed and rested during the day, among which I recommend the following: following: eat a light and healthy dinner, if possible avoid large dinners because digestion can disturb sleep (having dinner two hours before going to bed would be the ideal); try to exercise during the day, not too late so as not to go to bed too fast; establish a routine of schedules and try to go to bed always at the same time; do not use the computer, tablet or mobile phone before going to bed; have a nighttime routine before going to sleep, for example taking a hot bath or listening to relaxing music.

These rituals make the body relax to be able to fall asleep easily.

And in psychological therapy, how do you intervene in these cases of insomnia?

If following the above guidelines the problems persist and you cannot fall asleep, it is important to seek help.

The treatment that I apply in my consultation with my patients is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, known as CBT-I.

At the behavioral level, this therapy focuses on improving habits oriented towards sleep hygiene (avoiding tobacco, coffee and alcohol before going to bed, for example).

On a cognitive level, the brain is trained to associate the bed with sleep and relaxation, in addition to learning not to exert pressure on oneself to fall asleep.

It is very common that when there is no way to fall asleep, we get nervous or get angry with ourselves for not getting it. When this happens it is advisable to remain calm since this stress is what is keeping us awake.