{"id":3987,"date":"2020-04-27T05:35:05","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T09:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cardinus.com\/us\/?p=3987"},"modified":"2025-04-04T11:17:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T15:17:32","slug":"how-to-improve-sleep-and-productivity-in-lockdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cardinus.com\/us\/insights\/covid-19-hs-response\/how-to-improve-sleep-and-productivity-in-lockdown\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Sleep and Productivity in Lockdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, normal routines have been disrupted. Many are now working from home, and parents and carers have additional responsibilities as a result of normal services being limited or stopped to comply with social distancing and lockdown measures.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a result of changes to routines, and a lack of structure in our everyday lives \u2013 many are finding it more difficult to fall to sleep \u2013 and sleep well.<\/p>\n

The hashtags #cantsleep and #insomnia have seen an increase in use since COVID-19<\/a> lockdown measures were introduced, and many are posting to social media<\/a> about the difficulties of falling to sleep.<\/p>\n

Sleep and Productivity<\/h2>\n

Sleep can significantly impact productivity. The American Academy of Sleep has found<\/a> that those who sleep for 5 \u2013 6 hours per night will be 19% less productive at work the next day, compared with when they sleep between 7 \u2013 8 hours per night.<\/p>\n

Scientists don\u2019t know exactly why we sleep, but they do know that without it we cannot survive. Our bodies use the time we are asleep to complete many essential functions \u2013 and without enough sleep, we can start to see our cognitive and physical health decline.<\/p>\n

Sleep is crucial to our immune systems. When we sleep our bodies release proteins that help fight inflammation, infection, and trauma. Sleep deprivation can weaken our immune systems and make it harder for us to fight bugs.<\/p>\n

Metabolism is also affected by sleep. Studies <\/a>show that those who sleep less than 7 hours per night tend to gain weight more than those who sleep for 7 or more hours. This is because, after a poor night of sleep, we may be tempted to eat more than usual because a sleep-deprived body tends to have increased levels of ghrelin, the hormone which makes us hungry, and reduced levels of leptin, the hormone which makes us feel full.<\/p>\n

Sleep is also important to mental health. Those with insomnia<\/a> are 10 times more likely to have clinical depression, and 17 times more likely to have clinical anxiety. The link between sleep and mental health is complex, but many of us know when we are tired we are more likely to be irritable and find it more difficult to be enthusiastic or happy.<\/p>\n

The stress and uncertainty<\/a> of lockdown can make it harder to sleep. When we are stressed our bodies release a hormone called cortisol, which prepares our bodies for \u2018fight or flight\u2019 reactions. The release of cortisol can lead to physical and mental symptoms which make it hard for us to sleep \u2013 such as tense muscles and headaches.<\/p>\n

\"See<\/a><\/p>\n

The Quality of Sleep and How to Improve it<\/h2>\n

Feeling well-rested and ready to tackle the day is not just dependent on the quantity of sleep we achieve, but the quality too.<\/p>\n

Generally, the quality of sleep is measured<\/a> by:<\/p>\n