Sleep and COVID-19

​How COVID-19 affects sleep?

• Being cognizant of how COVID-19 media coverage can affect your sleep is important to inform personal prevention or intervention measures.
• Increased anxiety can affect sleep patterns making it harder to fall asleep or get back to sleep at night.
• Feelings of depression are also associated with irregular sleep patterns.

Sleep Facts:

• Getting less than 5 hours of sleep for more than 5 days is equivalent to legal alcohol intoxication.
• 7 or more hours of quality sleep is required every 24-hour period.
• Exposure to light from computers, phones, television, and video games disrupts the ability to fall asleep.
• Caffeine and energy drinks do not replace the need for sleep.
• Fatigue from lack of sleep is a leading cause of home/work-place or motor vehicle accidents.  
  

How to get quality sleep:

• Set a bedtime that allows 7or more hours of sleep and set a routine every day.
• Turn off lights and remove light-emitting electronics from your bedroom. To reduce the impact of light use FREE blue light filtering software and apps.
• Go caffeine-free AT LEAST 6 hours before bedtime.
• Sleep in a cool dark room and remove any distractions.
• In loud environments, you may wear earplugs and/or use a sleep mask to create a soothing sleep space.
  

Seek professional help if you:

• Experience sleep difficulty.
• Are often tired during the day (despite sleeping at least 7-9 regularly).
• Consistently have a reduced ability to perform daytime activities.

*Call your Primary Care or Behavioral Health provider if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above.

COVID-19 information:

•  Click here for the Army Public Health Center COVID-19 communication products
• The Military Health System Nurse Advice Line is available 24/7 by phone, web chat, and video chat. Call 1-800-874-2273 option #1
• Army COVID-19 Information Hotline for trusted resources and answers to your questions! 1-800-984-8523 Overseas DSN 312-421-3700 Stateside DSN 421-3700