Sleep in the age of Covid19
As a caregiver the thought of getting a solid eight hours of sleep each night may seem like a fantasy. After all, it is difficult enough for non-caregivers to get adequate sleep on a regular basis. With the emergence of Covid19 its estimated that approximately 50 percent of the general population suffers from insomnia.
Age, emotional stress, depression, physical inactivity, and overall worry are all risk factors for sleep disorders like insomnia, so it should come as no surprise that so many family caregivers are sleep deprived. My daughter, who is autistic, somehow manages to stay awake for days before crashing and if she is awake, I try extremely hard to stay awake to ensure she is not getting into things that may harm herself. Those who are caring for dementia patients also have an especially difficult time getting uninterrupted rest. One study found that 92 percent of dementia caregivers report poor sleep quality marked by short total sleep time, frequent awakenings and a long sleep-onset latency (the amount of time it takes to fall asleep).
It’s clear that caregiver sleep deprivation is a serious and widespread issue with the potential to cause daytime dysfunction, accidents and higher levels of caregiver burden. Many caregivers are bombarded with well-meaning advice urging them to take care of themselves, but these recommendations are often shrugged off. Financial ability, trust and safety issues, guilt, and care recipients themselves often prevent caregivers from receiving the help they need.
Caregiver respite can be hard to work out, but it should be a priority in any care plan. Because of Covid19 I have not been able to utilize respite services as they are now closed. Take the following reminders to heart when making care decisions, especially those that affect your ability to sleep through the night because sleep has many benefits for your overall good health.
Sleep reduces your stress level.
Sleep reduces anxiety.
Sleep reduces depression.
There is no substitute for sleep. Without it, you run a high risk of jeopardizing your health and increasing burnout. Crawl between the sheets and get some sleep. Take Care Time