(CBC News) — Whether you’re being startled awake by nightmares or watching the clock tick, if you’re losing sleep over the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re not alone. The stress of coping with the health crisis has robbed many people of some much-needed shut-eye.
From crashing stock markets and escalating infection rates to lost jobs and shuttered shops, COVID-19 has put unprecedented pressure on the personal lives of Canadians— anxiety that can trigger insomnia and bad dreams. The difficulties of living through a pandemic can aggravate pre-existing sleep issues or cause new ones, says psychiatrist Dr. Atul Khullar, medical director of the Northern Alberta Sleep Clinic in Edmonton.
“We’re definitely getting a lot of referrals,” Khullar said in an interview Wednesday with CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM.
A simple change in routine can make for a restless night. Depression and anxiety can be dangerously disruptive. If you already suffer from sleep issues, the pandemic is only going to make it worse, Khullar said.
“All the bad sleep habits that we have can be exacerbated by this,” he said, “especially if you have a little bit of anxiety depression to begin with, or any sort of mental health difficulties before this was going on.” (…)