Struggling with Sleep During COVID-19

By Debra Staton, Wellness Coordinator for the Arkansas Health Network

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Struggling with sleep is a common problem for many people. However, with the COVID-19 Pandemic, it seems to be an even bigger problem.  Sleep is crucial to our physical, emotional and mental health, making it imperative to find ways to get adequate sleep.

The stress we are all experiencing can disrupt our sleeping–whether it is falling asleep or staying asleep. Without the right amount of sleep, the body does not create adequate amounts of cytokines, the protein that targets inflammation and infection. Therefore, our immune response is lowered, which makes one more susceptible to illness.

May is Better Sleep Month, and during the month, the Better Sleep Council works to raise awareness about the benefits of sleep. The goal is to encourage people to develop better sleeping patterns.

You can earn $30 while you improve your sleep habits. Our CHI 2020 Wellness Program offers $30 for completing an online journey, which are self-guided courses to help build healthy habits. One of the journeys focuses on setting up your room for sleep and offers tips on getting a good night’s rest. Employees can complete up to six of these journeys a year.

Click here to learn more about journeys or visit the well-being pages on Inside CHI. Click on “Wellness” and select “Visit Your Wellness Website.” Search for ‘journey’ under the programs tab.