Sleep, dreams, attatchmentstyles, tips for better sleep

Pandemic dreams

www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/09/upsetting-dreams-covid-19


The anxiety, stress and worry brought on by COVID-19 is not limited to daytime hours. The pandemic is affecting our dreams as well, infusing more anxiety and negative emotions into dreams and spurring dreams about the virus itself, particularly among women, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

In a special section in the journal Dreaming, researchers reported on the results of four studies from around the world about people’s dreams during the pandemic. Previous research has suggested that our dreams often reflect what’s happening in our waking lives and that other crises—including war, natural disasters and terrorist attacks—have led to an increase in anxious dreams. The four studies in this special section found that the same is true of COVID-19. “All of these studies support the continuity hypothesis of dreaming: That dreams are consistent with our waking concerns rather than being some outlet for compensation, as some older psychoanalytic theories had hypothesized,” said Deirdre Barrett, PhD, editor of Dreaming and an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “The higher levels of anxiety, dreams about illness and death in general, and COVID-19 specifically, are in line with that.”

Overall, the new studies also suggest that women’s dreams have been more strongly affected by the pandemic than men’s—possibly, Barrett suggested, because women are bearing more of the burden of caregiving, job loss and other hardships.

“Dreams can help us understand our emotional reactions to the pandemic,” Barrett said. For example, one mother in a study by Barrett dreamed that her child’s school contacted her to say that the child’s whole class was being sent to her condominium to be home-schooled for the duration of the pandemic. “When mothers of young children hear that dream, there is a laughter but also usually a strong empathy at the overwhelmed feeling the dream dramatizes. Your dreams can make you more aware of just what about the pandemic is bothering you the most—and sharing them with trusted others is a good conversation-starter for talking about these shared feelings,” Barrett said.

The four COVID-19 articles in the issue are:

“Dreaming and the COVID-19 pandemic: 

This study of more than 3,000 U.S. adults surveyed in early May 2020 found that people who had been most strongly affected by the pandemic—such as those who had gotten sick or lost their job—also reported the strongest effects on their dream life (heightened dream recall, more negative dreams and more pandemic-related dreams). Women and people with more education also reported stronger effects of the pandemic on their dreams. The findings suggest that changes in the frequency, tone and content of dreams can help identify those at risk for mental health problems during the pandemic, according to the researchers.


Deirdre Barrett, PhD, Harvard University

Women’s dreams have been more negatively affected by COVID-19 than men’s dreams, according to this international study of 2,888 participants. The researcher asked online survey respondents to recount their dreams about the pandemic and then compared the responses to a database of dreams from before the pandemic. Overall, women showed significantly lower rates of positive emotions and higher levels of anxiety, sadness, anger and references to biological processes, health and death in their pandemic dreams compared with the pre-pandemic dreams. Men’s pandemic dreams showed slightly higher levels of negative emotions, anxiety and death than in pre-pandemic dreams, but the effects were less pronounced than they were for women.

“Dreaming in the Time of Covid-19: A Quali-Quantitative Italian Study” 
Ilaria Iorio, PhD, Massimiliano Sommantico, PhD, and Santa Parrello, PhD, Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

Researchers analyzed the dreams of 796 Italian participants, all of whom completed a dream questionnaire in April and May 2020 and described their most recent dream in detail. Twenty percent of the dreams included an explicit reference to COVID-19, the researchers found. Overall, women reported higher emotional intensity and a more negative emotional tone in their dreams, as did participants who knew people affected by COVID-19.


“Pandemic Dreaming: The Effect of COVID-19 on Dream Imagery, a Pilot Study”
Cassidy MacKay, BSc, and Teresa L. DeCicco, PhD, Trent University

Pandemic-era dreams resemble the dreams of people with anxiety, suggests this study of Canadian college students. Researchers analyzed detailed dream journals from 19 Canadian college students recorded between mid-February and mid-March 2020, as the pandemic and pandemic-related physical distancing restrictions were taking hold in Canada. They found that the pandemic-era dreams contained more location changes, as well as animal, head, food and virus-related dream imagery compared with a control group of people who kept dream journals before the pandemic. This type of dream imagery is similar to previous findings of the dream imagery of people experiencing waking day anxiety, according to the researchers.

Sleep hacks

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downshiftology.com/how-to-sleep-better-naturally-fall-asleep-fast/

. STICK TO A SLEEP SCHEDULE
The body craves routine and performs at it’s best when you stick to a consistent sleep schedule. This means not only going to bed at the same time every night, but also waking up at the same time every morning. It creates a natural rhythm for the body. So resist the urge to stay up late or sleep in on the weekends as it can throw off this rhythm and cycle.

There’s also an optimal time to go to bed, which is between 9pm-10:30pm. If you miss this window, when melatonin naturally releases and signals our body to sleep, cortisol kicks in and gives us a second wind, keeping us awake. You’ve probably experienced this when out with friends late at night.

Prevent that cortisol spike by going to bed by 10:30pm and when you wake in the morning, immediately open your curtains and let the sun in. It’ll help reset your circadian rhythm.

2. CREATE A BEDROOM OASIS
When you go to a spa you instantly feel relaxed due to the environment – low lights, lavender in the air, meditative music and soft white robes. So create a bedroom oasis that evokes those same relaxing and soothing vibes.

To start, make your bedroom as clutter-free as possible. Clean off your nightstand and dresser and leave only the essentials, because visual clutter can easily translate to mental clutter. Then, work to create your bedroom oasis.

3. EVALUATE YOUR MATTRESS
If you sleep better when you’re staying with family, at a friend’s house or in a hotel, you should evaluate if your mattress is right for you. Mattresses last 8-10 years on average, but if your mattress is saggy, too soft, too firm, causing back pain or just plain uncomfortable you may need to replace it sooner.

The comfort level of a mattress is subjective and each person has different preferences based on sleeping position and body weight (though most physicians would say back support and proper spinal alignment is key). But one thing that’s not subjective is mattress quality.

We sleep for 1/3 of our lives and yet most don’t consider what they’re truly laying on top of – synthetic materials, polyurethane foam, flame-retardant chemicals, harmful glues and other chemicals. All items that can negatively impact our health and wellness.

4. GET SOME EXERCISE
A regular, daily exercise routine will not only keep you in physical shape, it will also keep you in mental shape. And that’s because regular exercise is known to reduce stress levels and anxiety, which are the biggest culprits of poor sleep.

Aerobic activity and weight training can fatigue the body during the day (in a good way) and promote a deeper, more restful night’s sleep as the body repairs tissue. The net results? Exercise not only ensure more sleep, but also higher quality sleep. And if you exercise outside, which is always a plus, the sunshine and Vitamin-D helps to release chemicals that regulate your sleep/wake cycle.

Relaxing and restorative exercise such as yoga and stretching are also beneficial and calm the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol and increase mood. All factors important for a clear, calm mind before bed.

The time of day you exercise isn’t as important as just doing it regularly. The only thing you want to avoid is exercise right before bed. Exercise causes an increase in endorphins and body temperature, which can last for 30 minutes to 2 hours. When your body temperature cools after exercise, that’s when you start to feel sleepy.

5. DRINK RELAXING TEAS
In the late afternoon when you’re winding down for the day, reach for an herbal tea to help relax your mind and de-stress from the day. Herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, passion flower, kava and green tea can all ease tension, calm the body and aid in sleep.

You can drink tea from any of these individual herbs, but herb blends are also effective by working in conjunction with each other. Two of my favorite blends are Traditional Medicinal’s Nighty Night and Cup of Calm, which have several different herbs in one handy tea sachet. I also love Traditional Medicinal’s Nighty Night with valerian and you can buy a variety pack of organic teas on Amazon.

Drinking a cup of relaxing tea in the afternoon creates a healthy wind-down ritual, giving us permission to slow down, take a breath and enjoy the moment.

6. UNPLUG FROM TECHNOLOGY
Most people are aware that technology can impact sleep. But I’m not sure that those who still use technology in the hour before bed (a whopping 90% of Americans) fully grasp how huge and negative these implications can be. Because if they did, they’d unplug immediately.

Technology affects your sleep through several different ways. First, there’s the blue light that’s emitted from devices which suppresses your body’s natural production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. That’s just one component. Then there’s the fact that technology over-stimulates the brain and can trigger the release of adrenaline and cortisol, keeping you wide awake and restless.

If you keep your phone in the bedroom you’ve also got the potential of sounds, beeps, vibrations, lights and alerts as well as wifi signals, which studies have shown can disrupt sleep. And let’s be honest about the addiction of technology and that “one last” website link or Instagram scroll you’re gonna do, which invariably turns into another hour on your device, pushing you past your optimal bed time (see point #1).

No matter how you look at it, technology is enormously disruptive to sleep. Unplug from technology at least two hours before bedtime to allow your brain to body to relax. Remember that the bedroom is a place for sleep and sex, not work and TV. Do you recall a TV on the wall in the last spa you visited? Of course not. So make your bedroom a technology-free zone. Ditch the TV and charge your phone and electronic devices in another room.

Learn how to sleep better naturally, fall asleep fast and most importantly - stay asleep.

7. CUT CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL AND BALANCE BLOOD SUGAR
If you struggle with not only falling asleep, but staying asleep, caffeine, alcohol and blood sugar imbalances may be to blame. Caffeine, similar to light exposure, suppresses your body’s natural production of melatonin and can block the neurotransmitter adenosine, a chemical that builds later in the day and makes you sleepy. It can also take 6-8 hours for the effects of caffeine to be reduced by half, so avoid caffeine after lunchtime to minimize this impact.

When it comes to alcohol, many folks swear by a glass of wine before bed to feel sleepy. But alcohol negatively impacts REM sleep, your restorative sleep which occurs later in the night. This means alcohol consumption may wake you in the middle of the night and leave you feeling groggy and lethargic the next day (not to mention it’s a diuretic and will lead you to the bathroom in the middle of the night).

Lastly, if you’re not yet on the healthy, real food diet plan you may be experiencing blood sugar crashes in the middle of the night. Eating a large meal late in the evening (or sugary, carby snack), can cause you to wake up between 3-4am when your blood sugar crashes. But it’s not just your last meal you should worry about. If you keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the whole day with a mix of healthy protein, fat, carbs and fiber (ie – no processed food), you’ll have more restful, restorative sleep overall.

8. LISTEN TO GUIDED MEDITATION
When we’re anxious and stressed we’re thinking of what we didn’t do, how we could have done it better, what we should have said differently, wondering how we’re gonna do in the future, trying to predict the outcome of something that hasn’t yet happened and running through every possible scenario in our brain. To put it simply, we’re thinking about the past and future and not at all focusing on the present.

Meditation brings us back to the present, to our breath and our bodies. And it may just be the number one most powerful tool in our toolbox when it comes to promoting high-quality, restful sleep.

Meditation not only improves cortical thickness and boosts the REM-stimulating regions of the brain, it also helps to naturally increase our body’s melatonin production. And boosting your melatonin naturally through meditation is more effective in the long-term rather than supplementation. In short, the health benefits of meditation are profound and well studied.

But if you’re anything like me, trying to meditate on your own can be challenging. So I recommend a guided meditation app that you can listen to. I personally love Headspace (it’s casual, easy to listen to and fun) and I have an annual subscription. I can honestly say that after (almost) daily practice for the last two years, the results on my overall wellness and sleep have been astounding.

9. TAKE A WARM BATH
There’s nothing like a warm bath before bed to reduce any tensions, muscle tightness and stress. You can literally let your thoughts and anxieties float away in a soothing bubble bath. The warm water will relax the body and mind and a few drops of essential oils like lavender and chamomile will take that relaxation to the next level.

Lavender is the most used essential oil in the world and simply smelling it while you’re in the bath can have a calming effect on the nervous system and reduce anxiety, stress and depression. The health benefits of chamomile essential oil are similar to drinking chamomile tea and a few drops in your bath will have you feeling relaxed, peaceful and wonderfully sleepy.

Over time, a warm bath can help to create a healthy bedtime routine that signals the body it’s time to go to bed.

Learn how to sleep better naturally, fall asleep fast and most importantly - stay asleep.

10. TRY NATURAL SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS
I’ve purposely left sleep aids and supplements to the end because I think it’s imperative you try all of the other methods first. All to often we grab herbs, supplements and drugs as a way to have a “quick fix,” yet many times they’re unnecessary.

Natural supplements are much better for you and don’t have the nasty side effects of Ambien, Xanax, Valium, Nyquil and others (note: they’re controlled substances for a reason), but keep in mind that even natural sleep supplements should be used for occasional sleeplessness rather than as a nightly crutch.

If your insomnia is chronic, I’d recommend working with a nutritionist and functional medicine doctor to see if there’s an underlying cause of your insomnia that needs to be addressed first.

Here are a few natural sleep supplements I’ve personally tried and found success with:

Melatonin: a natural hormone present in our bodies that regulates our sleep/wake cycle. Our natural production of melatonin decreases as we get older, so those above 70 years of age may find improvement with supplementing. It’s also beneficial for those who experience jet lag and time zone changes. Melatonin is available in many forms (pills, lozenges, liquid) and it’s always best to start with the smallest dose about an hour before bed.

Valerian: an herb that’s been used for centuries to treat insomnia and anxiety by increasing the amount of a chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This produces a calming, relaxing, sedative-like effect and it’s frequently known as “Nature’s Valium.” Valerian promotes deep and restful sleep and can be commonly found as a tincture or liquid caps. Just be forewarned that it doesn’t have the best smell or taste, but it is effective.

Magnesium: an essential mineral that’s critical for hundreds of cellular and biochemical processes in our body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, digestion, blood sugar levels and restful sleep. Some folks are prone to magnesium deficiency, including those with diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders (such as celiac and Crohn’s), individuals on certain medications and those with an unhealthy diet, devoid of vegetables. Magnesium supplements are available in a variety of forms including pills, powders, chewables and topical sprays (just rub it into your legs before bed).

CBD Oil: the shortened name for cannabidiol (CBD), it’s a naturally-occurring constituent of cannabis sativa plants, which includes marijuana and hemp. CBD oil is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid and does not cause you to get high. CBD is extracted from the plant and diluted with a carrier oil, such as hemp seed oil. CBD oil is quickly gaining momentum for it’s effectiveness in treating pain, seizures, inflammatory disease, depression, anxiety and sleeplessness. Two brands of CBD oil I’ve tried and recommend are NuLeaf Naturals (100% organic) and Plus CBD (which also has gel caps).
Learn how to sleep better naturally, fall asleep fast and most importantly - stay asleep.

YOU CAN LEARN TO FALL ASLEEP FASTER AND SLEEP BETTER
In summary, you have a lot more control over your sleep quality than you may realize. Anxiety, stress and poor diet from our technology-driven, hyper-connected, on-the-go lifestyles are at the root of most sleep problems, so before you grab a sleeping pill remember that the fix is often times within your control. By implementing these tips and new habits you can learn how to sleep better, fall asleep faster, stay asleep throughout the night and wake up feeling energized and rejuvenated.

HSPś

highlysensitiverefuge.com/highly-sensitive-people-sleep/


Why Good Sleep Is Crucial for HSPs
As a highly sensitive person, I’ve always been a big sleeper. I’m often in bed by 9 p.m., because in this season of my life, I function best when I get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. Less than 7, and I’m a mess.

Part of this is probably a hangover from sleepless nights with young children. It’s as if my body is still trying to catch up. But another part is, as an HSP, I just get exhausted easily. A full life with lots of family and friend time is wonderful, but it can also be a source of physical and emotional drain — especially for those of us who feel deeply and experience the world in high definition, which is what it means to be highly sensitive.

Recently, I had a day that left me wanting to sleep for a week. Busy airports, two canceled flights, many delays, and when I finally arrived home (5 hours late), all I wanted to do was nap. But my darling kids wouldn’t have a bit of it! Mommy was home after seven days away so there was no rest for the weary. And although I missed them, their lovely noisy selves did nothing to subdue my already frazzled nervous system.

Of course, an early night would have been just what the doctor ordered. But no, the day wasn’t over! We had a babysitter booked and a party to go to. As an introvert and HSP, parties just aren’t my thing, even on a normal day. But this wasn’t a normal day. I was already completely peopled out, and now I had to face a room full of 40 more people!

Suffice it to say, when I collapsed into bed at 11:30 p.m., I knew it would take me more than a couple days to recover. My entire being was stretched beyond capacity. I needed hibernation.

Most HSPs have experienced something similar — probably many times. All HSPs face higher levels of overstimulation and mental fatigue; it’s just how we’re wired. That means we need more than just “beauty sleep.” For us, sleep is absolutely crucial. It calms and resets our overworked systems; it’s probably the best thing we can do for ourselves in terms of self-care.

Why HSPs May Find It Harder to Sleep
In a cruel twist of irony, highly sensitive people may find it more difficult than others to get the rest they desperately need.

On the long trip home that day, I’d prepped my husband, explaining that I’d need some space to try to nap that afternoon. But sleep did not arrive. The adrenaline from a full morning hadn’t left my body, and I was starting to feel anxious about the party ahead of us.

This isn’t uncommon for HSPs. We’re sensitive to all forms of stimulation, including noise, temperature, textures, and the activity level of our environment — and sometimes this affects our ability to fall asleep. HSP or not, when we get stressed and overstimulated, our bodies produce cortisol, a hormone that puts the body on high alert. When our bodies are revved up, we might find it impossible to relax and drift into dreamland, even when we so desperately need the rest.

Along with our bodies being wound up, HSPs may find they have too many thoughts to fall asleep. We process our experiences deeply, so until our minds have had time to wind down, we may be left wide awake, even though we’re begging our brains to “shut down” for the day.


3 Ways HSPs Can Get Better Sleep
If you’re highly sensitive, you’ll likely always need plenty of high-quality sleep, no matter what season of life you’re in. Here are three things you can do to ensure a good night’s sleep.

1. Create a solid bedtime routine.
Plan ahead for your time in dreamland. HSPs tend to thrive on routines; bedtime is no different. A great bedtime routine creates a sense of safety, which in turn promotes feelings of relaxation. It’s much easier for us to relax when we know what’s coming next.

My routine is fairly simple: It involves hopping into bed at least 30 minutes before I think I’ll be asleep. I fill out a very simple gratitude journal and note anything else in my brain that needs to get out. Then, I read myself to sleep. I try to stay off social media one hour prior to bedtime, and if I’m on my laptop, it’s only to write.

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2. Reduce all external stimuli.
HSP or not, it’s good for everyone to reduce technology prior to bedtime. But what about the emotional stimuli that comes from engaging with others? Surely great conversation in front of a roaring fire is a lovely way to spend an evening? Not for me! Well, at least not in the last hour or two before bed. Having silence and giving my brain a break from anything incoming is crucial late at night.

Often this means leaving parties or other social events early so there’s time to unwind afterward. For me, it also means letting my loved ones know that 10 p.m. is not the time to start a major discussion about an important issue.

3. Give yourself enough time.
Get to know how much sleep you need. Everyone is different, and your sleep needs won’t necessarily be the same as your partner’s, mom’s, or best friend’s. Once you have an idea about how much sleep you need, make it a top priority. Go to bed earlier! The dishes, the next chapter of the book, and the laundry can all wait until tomorrow.


Changing your sleep habits may seem like a huge undertaking, and you won’t be able to change everything right away. But you can make one small change tonight — and feel the difference.

HSP, you have incredible gifts to offer the world. It’s going to be a lot easier to do that when you get a good night’s sleep.

Do you need plenty of good sleep to function at your best? How do you get it?