COVID-19: people sleep longer and, simultaneously, a poorer quality of sleep – Naturopathy naturopathy specialist portal

How does Corona on sleep?

The Corona-crisis has a strong impact on sleep rhythm and sleep. People sleeping in times of Corona, while often longer, however, the quality of sleep seems to worsen.

In a recent survey conducted by the University of Basel has found that people in times of Corona, while often sleep longer, the quality of sleep but reduces. The results of the investigation were published in the English journal “Current Biologyy”.

435 people were interviewed about their sleeping behaviour

For the investigation, a total of 435 people from Switzerland, Austria and Germany were interviewed about their sleeping behaviour. This survey stretched over a period of six weeks (between 23. March and 26. April 2020) and happened online. The researchers wanted to find out how the sleep behavior during the COVID has changed 19-lock downs.

The majority of respondents reported that they slept longer, the quality of sleep seemed to worsen. More than 85 percent of the respondents worked at this time in the home office.

What causes sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders seem to be often the result of our modern lifestyle. In the power company, we are exposed to a quasi non-stop activities, with rhythm of work and leisure behavior to us is often a cycle to pretend that contributes to a conflict with the internal biological clock of the body, explains the research group in a press release from the University of Basel.

Social jet lag due to disturbed sleep

Occurring shifts in sleep time and sleep duration should be between work days and free days, too strong, this can lead to a so-called social jet lag, reports the researchers. It can therefore be concluded that the work-from-home (home office) could help in times of Corona to the advantages of the sleep behavior. More flexible working hours, no Commute between workplace and residence and more time to Sleep could possibly be the behavior the benefits of sleep rhythm and sleep bring.

More flexible working hours to reduce social jet lag

In their survey, the researchers found that, for example, through more flexible working hours of social jet lag can be reduced. This suggests that the sleep-Wake pattern of the respondents are based less on external or social rhythms, but rather to internal biological signals, report the researchers.

Longer sleep but poorer quality of sleep

75 percent of the respondents reported that they slept during the lock downs due to Corona for up to 50 minutes longer. It is possible that the elimination of the daily walk to work in the Morning contributes to the improvement of the quality of sleep. However, the reduction of social jetlag was associated with an improvement in the perceived quality of sleep. It is the opposite seemed to be even exactly to be the case. The respondents frequently reported that a deterioration in the quality of your sleep even more of something.

Why deteriorated the quality of sleep?

The present Situation in times of Coronavirus can be, in many respects, very onerous, for example, due to financial and health Concerns, more in need of child care and many other aspects. Therefore, a deterioration in the quality of sleep is not necessarily surprising, report the researchers.

How can sleep be improved?

If you belong to the people, which to a poor sleeping suffer, you should know that physical activity and movement under the open sky can counteract the occurring deterioration in the quality of sleep, emphasizing the research group. So if you want to sleep better, spend more time in the fresh air, for example, when working in the garden or take a walk through nature. (as)

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