How to sleep soundly and slow down aging during the COVID-19 situation

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many people to experience increased work-related stress and inevitably reduced work-related busyness. This has impacted their emotional well-being, physical activity, and the quality and quantity of sleep, resulting in insomnia or sleeping too much, which is detrimental to overall health.

Getting the right amount and quality of sleep has many benefits for the body, including improving hormonal balance, boosting immunity, promoting faster and more accurate brain and nervous system responses, calming the body, mind, and emotions, and even helping to slow down the aging process. During deep sleep, the body's immune system and worn-out parts are restored.

During REM sleep (dreaming), various skills are converted into long-term memory, and the autonomic nervous system, such as regulating blood pressure and heart rate, is also trained. Some people who dream little or not at all may be experiencing a warning sign of impending physical decline.

Read more: Sleep Cycle

Therefore, it is necessary to have a consistent and age-appropriate sleep schedule.

For adults, the ideal sleep duration is 7-9 hours per night, consistently going to bed between 10 PM and morning, or possibly earlier if waking up early is necessary.
You shouldn't wake up to go to the bathroom more than once a night.
Waking up in the morning should make you feel refreshed, not groggy, sleepy, or having a headache, and allowing you to stock up on energy for the whole day.
Daytime naps are acceptable, but no more than once a day, ideally no longer than half an hour and no later than 2 PM, as this can affect your ability to fall asleep at night.

However, for those whose sleep times or patterns do not conform to this, do not ignore it. To ensure proper and healthy sleep, seek advice from a sleep specialist. They are happy to provide guidance and care for both your physical and emotional well-being.

Article by Dr. Niratchada Saphanan
A neurologist specializing in epilepsy and sleep disorders.
Bangkok Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya