When lockdown is imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19, it means that we all have to stay home until the stipulated time elapses. Many people tend to assume that the stay home orders mean enough time to sleep.

However, according to a study by Sleep Foundation, a non-profit organisation that advocates for sleep as a therapeutic factor, Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide messed up sleeping routines, even people who didn’t have insomnia before found themselves lacking sleep.

It also found that because people are home all the time, their sleeping patterns get messed up—sleeping late and waking up late—which also affects meal hours and other schedules of the day such as work and home-schooling.

With economies grinding to a halt and many people worrying for themselves and their loved ones, Covid-19 presented many changes in people’s sleeping routines, while those whose livelihoods were adversely affected simply found themselves lacking sleep due to uncertainty.

The foundation advises that for people’s wellness and future, sleep remains as important as ever during lockdown, as it comes with tremendous benefits. Even more important are day naps, which will help you shed off more lockdown fatigue.

"Sleep is critical to physical health and effective functioning of the immune system. It’s also a key promoter of emotional wellness and mental health, helping to beat back stress, depression, and anxiety,” the study says.

The research found that millions of people worldwide who suffered from insomnia before the coronavirus were even more affected because the pandemic created a host of new challenges—even for people who previously had no sleeping problems, due to anxiety and worry.

With the lockdown, experts say keeping track of time can be hard without typical time "anchors” like dropping kids at school, arriving at the office, attending recurring social events, or going to the gym.

Being stuck at home, especially if it has low levels of natural light, may reduce light-based cues for wakefulness and sleep, known as zeitgebers, which are crucial to our circadian rhythm. Many people have found themselves depressed and isolated.

Catherine Ashimwe, an accountant with one of the corporate firms in the country, says that she found herself lacking sleep during the first and current lockdown, or when it comes, it comes at the wrong time.

"Normally, I would sleep by 9pm or 10pm latest, but during the first lockdown, I found myself sleeping past midnight because I postponed many things I had to do to catch my latest series on Netflix.

"In other cases, I would find myself eating breakfast at mid-day, lunch at 4pm upwards and dinner or a snack very late at 10pm. As time went on, I found myself becoming nocturnal,” says Ashimwe.

Ashimwe found herself lonely and bored in her apartment, sometimes having to spend the whole day sleeping and working late or even procrastinating.

"I was also worrying about other people, my family and the plight of Covid-19 patients. I also watched a lot of things which eventually made me anxious,” she says, adding that the pandemic had a significant toll on her mental health and disrupted her normal sleep patterns. 

Why is sleep important?

The Sleep Foundation says that sleep is a critical biological process, and as we juggle the mental, physical, and emotional demands of the pandemic, it’s arguably more important than ever.

Sleep empowers an effective immune system. Solid nightly rest strengthens our body’s defences, and studies have even found that lack of sleep can make some vaccines less effective.

Sleep heightens our brain functions, and our mind works better when we get good sleep. A solid night’s rest contributes to complex thinking, learning, memory, and decision-making. For adults and children adapting to work and school at home, good sleep can help them stay sharp.

Sleep enhances mood. Lack of sleep can make a person irritable, drag down their energy level, and cause or worsen feelings of depression.

Sleep improves mental health. Besides depression, studies have found that a lack of sleep is linked to mental health conditions like anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Experts agree that getting consistent, high-quality sleep improves virtually all aspects of health, which is why it is worthy of our attention during the coronavirus pandemic.