COVID-19 and caregiving concerns
ith the coronavirus outbreak
forcing us to adjust
to a new normal in
our daily routines, many people
have also experienced disruptions
to their nighttime habits,
resulting in poor sleep during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors
such as increased anxiety
and depression, a significant
uptick in screen time, and a
lack of exercise all play a part
in our sleep quality — which in
turn further affects how well
we function, how we feel, and
our immune system. But there
are ways to deal with these
challenges to try to achieve
better sleep hygiene.
Take some time to evaluate
your sleep and look for potential
disruptors. Are you having
a hard time falling asleep
because you’re anxious? Do
you tend to take long naps during
the day? Do you work on
the computer or watch TV late
into the night? Jot down your
daily activities and take note of
any patterns that might be out
of the ordinary and disrupting
your sleep.
COURIER L 24 IFE, JUNE 19-25, 2020
It’s important — now more
than ever — to keep to a consistent
wake time and sleep
time every day. Wake up and
go to bed at the same time each
day. Keep a strict work schedule
so you’re not tempted to
take a long midday nap and
you are able to turn off your
computer at the end of a regular
workday. This consistency
will keep your body in a regular
rhythm.
Getting sunlight in the
morning is a very natural way
for the body to wake itself. It
helps to regulate your circadian
rhythm (your body’s sleepwake
cycle) and, over time, improve
sleep quality. If you can’t
get outside in the morning,
open your curtains and blinds,
sit by a window, and soak up
the sun’s early rays.
Because we’re at home
more, it can be very tempting
to take more naps. But when
you take a nap, especially in
the late afternoon, it can be
harder to fall asleep at night.
Avoid doing work in places
that might make you sleepy,
like on your bed or couch. And
if you are really in need of a
nap, take one as early in the
day as possible, ideally before
1 p.m. and for no more than 30
minutes.
With gyms closed and people
not leaving the house as
much, exercise routines have
been adversely affected. But
it remains important to make
a point to get moving. Not getting
enough exercise and activity
throughout your day
can greatly impact sleep. Plus,
regular exercise is a terrific
stress-reliever. Exercise early
in the day, every day, and outside
if possible. By exercising
outside, the sunlight tells your
brain that it’s time to wake up.
If you exercise later in the day
or in the evening, you run the
risk of activating the body and
waking it up, which can make
it harder to fall asleep later on.
With social distance guidelines
still in effect and the majority
of people working, and
conducting all their meetings,
from home, screen time has
understandably increased.
While we may not have control
over our screen time during
the day, we can take measures
to reduce it at night. That blue
light from our phones, computers,
and TVs mimics the
sun and can keep us awake, so
turn off all screens at least 30
minutes — more if possible —
before bed.
Instead of watching TV late
into the evening, read a book or
magazine, listen to a podcast,
or do some light stretching to
help your body wind down.
Beginning and ending your
day consumed with the news
can worsen anxiety and worry,
which can steal away your
sleep. To reduce stress, schedule
when you’ll check the news.
Try for a midday news checkin.
If you’re more of a nightly
news person, cut it back to no
more than an hour.
Meditation helps to reduce
stress and anxiety, and countless
guided meditations are
available on free apps. Or simply
focus on your breathing,
deepening your breath as you
do so.
If you have additional questions,
please call 718.499.2273 to
speak with a NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
physician. To read more
about how to stay healthy amid
the outbreak, please visit: NewYork
Presbyterian’s Health Matters
blog at https://healthmatters.
nyp.org
The novel coronavirus
COVID-19 struck fear in
the hearts and minds of
millions of people across the
globe beginning in late 2019,
and continued to do so well
into 2020.
Some people feared getting
sick, while others feared losing
their livelihoods. For the
world’s caregivers, fear inspired
by COVID-19 struck an
entirely different note.
According to the Family
Caregiver Alliance, about 44
million Americans provide 37
billion hours of unpaid, “informal”
care each year for adult
family members and friends
with chronic illnesses or conditions
that prevent them
from handling everyday activities
like bathing and preparing
meals.
Statistics Canada notes
that roughly one in four Canadians
ages 15 and older provided
similar care to a family
member or friend in 2018. Such
caregiving is a tall task even
in otherwise ideal settings,
but has proven especially diffi
cult during the COVID-19
outbreak. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
note that older adults and people
with serious chronic medical
conditions are among the
most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Sadly, many such people require
caregivers to meet their
daily needs. This puts caregivers
in unenviable positions, as
the CDC has encouraged social
distancing, and limiting
contact with the elderly in particular,
as a means of protecting
those who are especially
vulnerable to the potentially
deadly COVID-19 virus.
For many caregivers, avoiding
someone they look after is
simply not possible. In such
instances, certain strategies
can help caregivers as they
tend to sick and/or elderly relatives
during the COVID-19
outbreak.
• Caregivers should not
be at-risk populations. The
CDC notes that people with
chronic lung disease; people
with moderate to severe
asthma; people who have serious
heart conditions; people
who are immunocompromised,
including smokers and
organ transplant recipients,
among others; people with severe
obesity; people with diabetes;
people with chronic
kidney disease undergoing
dialysis; and people with liver
disease are at high-risk for severe
illness from COVID-19.
Such people should not be
serving as caregivers during
the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Wear gloves when caring
for your friend or relative.
The CDC urges caregivers
to wear gloves when they
touch or have contact with a
person’s blood, stool, or body
fl uids, such as saliva, mucus,
vomit, and urine. The CDC
also recommends asking the
people they are caring for to
put on a cloth face covering before
caregivers enter the room.
Caregivers also can wear face
coverings when tending to
loved ones.
• Wash your hands frequently.
The Rosalynn Carter
Institute for Caregiving recommends
that caregivers
wash their hands frequently.
Do so for no less than 20 seconds,
and always do so immediately
after entering a loved
one’s home.
• Take care of yourself.
The CDC notes that some people
may have COVID-19 even
though they are not exhibiting
any symptoms. In fact, some
scientists have theorized that
the virus has spread so quickly
because so many infected people
are asymptomatic.
But it’s imperative that
people in caregiving roles
prioritize their own health,
which not only protects them
but also the people they’re
looking after. Watch for symptoms
such as cough, shortness
of breath, fever, chills, muscle
pain, sore throat, and/or new
loss of taste or smell.
A nurse at Brookdale Hospital at the height of the pandemic.
Photo by Todd Maisel
Wellness
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