WORK FROM HOME: A CHANGE IN LIFESTYLE THAT IMPACTS SLEEP
The year 2020 witnessed one of the worst pandemics in history. The rapid spread of the novel corona virus -COVID-19 posed a major challenge to governments, health care systems, and the general public. The Government of India had to impose a countrywide lockdown in multiple phases. Though the primary concern of the medical world was COVID-19 infection and related complications, it also saw an uprising of non-COVID-19 related health issues. One of the major concerns was the increase in sleep-related issues. Research shows that there is an increased prevalence of sleep disturbance in the general population; the worst affected being the patients with COVID-19 infection and the health care personnel.
At Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences we saw a surge of patients with new onset of sleep disorders and worsening of pre-existing sleep illnesses. This could be attributed to the state of apprehension and uncertainty, disturbed daily schedule, reduced sunlight exposure, increased flexibility in daily routine, reduced physical activity, and latent worries concerning work or social domains and lack of routine follow- We, at Nithra, like to describe this as the ‘Lockdown Sleep Syndrome’.
Though the lockdown has been relaxed and we have all returned to a “new normal” life, there is one subset of the population which might be still in a pauci-lockdown phasei.e those who are working from home (WFH).Working from home was a rare phenomenon a decade ago but this pandemic saw a major boom in remote working. As remote working has many advantages like flexible work schedule, increased liberty at the venue, reduced stress of commuting, personalized work-place and more time with family, it is only natural to expect that people will be having far more peaceful sleep than before. However, the statistics say otherwise.
THE PROBLEM:
Most of the surveys conducted in India and worldwide suggest that remote working may have a negative impact on sleep habits. Many new remote employees are complaining of increased sleep disruption and a multitude of factors may be responsible for this.
- Flexible daily routine– When at home, some of the remote workers might have the freedom to handle the work at their own pace, making their routine more liable to be disrupted. Also, they might be tempted to indulge in afternoon naps which was not possible while working at their office.
- Reduced physical activity– The contribution of the daily commute to the overall physical activity of an individual cannot be neglected as it does have an impact on the fatigue required to regulate the sleep schedule. Also, many remote workers plan their work pace so as to minimize the need to get up from their workplace to improve their work efficiency
- Minimal exposure to sunlight- Sunlight is one of the most vital time cues for the regularization of our biological clock and circadian rhythm. The pandemic has necessitated remaining indoors and limited everyone from getting their morning dose of sunlight. Those working from home are nonetheless remaining indoors for majority of the time which may affect the fine tuning of their biological rhythms.
- Late night screen time- Many individuals who work from homeare in the habit of working till late night or work till their bedtime giving them minimal ‘screen free’ timeprior to sleep. Exposure to bright light around bedtime is known to disturb sleep by reducing the secretion of melatonin- a sleep inducing compound produced in our brain which also plays a vital role in keeping check of our biological clock.
- Work-life balance-With remote working, there is an increased chance of your professional life encroaching into your personal domain and the person might have difficulty to switch off their ‘WORK MODE’ even when free. This might affect the respite that comes with the ‘AT HOME MODE” and further disrupt sleep.
- Home office– Studies show less than 25% of remote workers have an allocated work area in their home and others tend to work in their living room or even bedroom. Working in the bedroom might have detrimental effect on sleep as the default conditioning in our minds that bedroom is a place devoted for sleep is diluted.
- Psychological factors– Having to juggle household chores and caretaking with work especially with absence of the house help may contribute to major psychological stress. The monotony of being at home all day and lack of socialization with colleagues/friends at work may also contribute to boredom. The impact of such mental stressors cannot be overlooked when it comes to sleep health.
- Miscellaneous factors– Presence of shift work, increased use of caffeinated beverages contribute to further weakening of the sleep hygiene .
THE SOLUTION:
- Fixed daily routine-Try to maintain a proper sleep schedule. Do not give in to the temptation of hitting the snooze button as you may be able to afford to sleep for some more time. Apart from the sleep routine, make sure your daily routine is fixed to keep your own body rhythm in sync.
- Make it a point to have a good exercise schedule as well. Apart from a designated time, try to be physically active even while ‘at work’. Try to have scheduled breaks to walk around, stretch and relax.
- Morning sunlight– Get your daily dose of morning sunlight by taking a morning walk (maybe on a terrace or just outside your home) or by simply sitting in a well sunlit area in your houses like the balcony or porch. It not only makes us feel more alert but also helps us sleep on time at night.
- Switching off your gadgets- Try to incorporate 30 minutes to 1-hour gap between screen time and bedtime, be it for work or pleasure. Meanwhile, dim the lights around the house so as to remind the body that it is nighttime. Let the darkness do its job of regulating our melatonin levels.
- Switch off your “work mode”- Ensure to adhere to the working hours and not let work spill into your family time. Try not to be tempted to check your emails ‘for just five minutes’.
- A designated home office- Assigned area for working is necessary not only to improve one’s productivity but also to make sure that the relaxing nuance of bedroom is not taken away
- Virtual chitchat- Staying connected with your colleagues for your usual tête-à-tête on digital platforms can also help break the monotony and the boredom
- Fix your caffeine – Don’t get tempted to take regular coffee breaks. Make sure the last caffeine fix is not too close to your bedtime; at least 4-6 hours before bedtime.
Maintaining a regular sleep is inevitable for overall wellness and a healthy future, which is why World Sleep Society has put forth the slogan of ‘Regular Sleep, Healthy Future’as a part of World Sleep Day celebrations this year. We at Nithra, join the rest of the world incelebrating the ‘World Sleep Day’ on March 19th , 2021. Our team will be conducting variousactivities to create awareness about sleep health and provide solutions. Join us as we take pledge to have a Regular Sleep for Healthy Future.
BY
Dr N. Ramakrishnan AB (Int Med), AB (Crit Care), AB (Sleep Med), AB (Obesity Med), MMM, FACP, FCCP, FCCM, FAASM, FICCM, FISDA
Founder and Managing Director, Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences.
Door # 29, Plot # 1997, J Block, 13th Main Road Annanagar, Chennai 600 040.
Ph: +91 44 4350 2252 Mobile: +91 90949 99955 Website: www.nithra.com
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