What protects us from becoming infected with any bacteria, fungus, or virus? Our immune system! Ignore it, and your risk of any disease increases. Add other challenging health issues (high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, etc.), and the risk of reinfection of the pandemic virus increases, as does the risk of becoming infected when you are vaccinated.
Stress & Insomnia & COVID-19
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/4/1/132 A study released this month on international healthcare workers shows that daily burnout (accumulating stress) and insomnia (lack of sleep) increase the risk of infection from coronavirus. This is not surprising since both sleep and stress affect our immune system.
The Study
https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/insomnia-disrupted-sleep-and-burnout-linked-to-higher-odds-of-severe-covid-19/ Surveys were done in several countries in Europe and the United States approximately one year ago. Twice as many people with the pandemic virus reported daily burnout compared to those uninfected. Similar statistics were seen regarding sleep – quality, time to fall asleep, staying asleep, and the use of sleep aids.
Nearly 3,000 healthcare workers were enrolled in the survey, and almost twenty percent of them contracted the pandemic virus, some requiring intensive care. The average sleeping time for this group was under seven hours, with many reporting less than six hours per night.
Researchers have known for years that the risk of colds and influenza increases dramatically with burnout. Unfortunately, most of us do not recognize the stress we encounter daily. Most of us will agree that situations at work or home can be stressful. However, getting caught at a red traffic light, spending an extra two minutes in line at the grocery store, and other seemingly innocent events add to daily stress levels.
Options
https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/burnout-insomnia-covid-19-sleep/2021/09/18/id/1036965/ Telling people to reduce stress and get better sleep is not always practical. There are many dynamics associated with quality sleep. Stress is one of them. When you spend time trying to go to sleep and constantly think about something that irritates you, you are stressed. Sleep schedules, eating and drinking before bedtime, blue light, and many other factors impair quality sleep.
Conclusion
Stress does not go away on its own. Daily exercise is one effective way to combat stress. In addition, some aromas (lavender, rose, sandalwood, orange, etc.) and supplements (lemon balm, omega-3 fatty acids, ashwagandha, green tea, valerian, and more) are effective at relieving stress. Dr. Google is a good source of ways to reduce stress. My personal favorite is Emotional Freedom Techniques.
Sleep is a harder nut to crack because so many things intertwine and impact the ability to attain quality sleep nightly. Exercise helps reduce stress and improve the quality of sleep. Avoiding food, caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol several hours before bedtime is immensely beneficial. Avoid naps longer than fifteen or twenty minutes. Again, Dr. Google can help. Emotional Freedom Techniques are effective with sleep issues. I used EFT a lot when I traveled through many time zones to address jet lag.
Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com
