Celia Turiel: "The pandemic has made it more difficult to rest".

Psychologist Celia Turiel Trujillo talks to us about the COVID-19 crisis and insomnia.

The coronavirus pandemic has burst into our lives affecting all areas of daily life... including the hours of rest at night.

Add to the need to adapt to confinement the health and economic crisis, and the combination of these elements has led many people to have trouble sleeping.

To better understand how the COVID-19 crisis has influenced insomnia processes, we talked to psychologist Celia Turiel Trujillo, an expert in these problems.an expert in these problems.

Interview to Celia Turiel Trujillo: insomnia in times of coronavirus

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

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

The current coronavirus pandemic has made it much more difficult to get a good night's rest, and the economic crisis resulting from it is responsible for the increase in sleep-related pathologies.

Our general feeling of lack of control, the worry about whether I will keep my job or if the layoff will follow, is one of the most frequent reasons for uneasiness and restlessness.

The stress caused by this situation can lead in the long term to mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Beyond the workplace, what dynamics of social interaction favored by the pandemic are conducive to the emergence of sleep problems?

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

Before the pandemic our days were on a schedule of awakenings, daily activities, breaks and bedtimes, 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 habitual and integrated mode of social interaction in our daily lives. Thanks to new technologies we have been able to keep in touch with our friends and family, however, the use of screens before going to sleep reduces the quality of sleep and has negative health effects.

The problem lies 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 daytime 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 sleep deprivation?

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

Sleep has a restorative effect on our health, brain and physical tissues are regenerated, if there is no rest there is no proper 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, as well as other physical consequences such as obesity, diabetes and Cardiovascular diseases.

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

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

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

These rituals help the body to relax so that it can 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 are unable to fall asleep, it is important to seek help.

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

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

At a cognitive level, the brain is trained to associate the bed with sleep and relaxation, as well as learning not to put 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 being able to get to sleep. When this happens it is advisable to keep calm because this stress is what is keeping us awake.