- Dr. Mike Dow is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author who has co-hosted "The Doctors" and is a regular on "The Dr. Oz Show."
- The below contains excerpts from "Heal Your Drained Brain: Naturally Relieve Anxiety, Combat Insomnia, and Balance Your Brain in Just 14 Days," by Dr. Mike Dow.
- Coronavirus-related stress can lead to insomnia, and insomnia can lead to stress and anxiety, and previous research shows that sleep-deprived people are more likely to get viruses when exposed to them.
- Dow writes that the best ways to get better sleep are to reduce watching streaming services at night, get natural light, limit news intake, keep a consistent sleep schedule, and workout.
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Your hands aren't the only thing you need to keep clean right now. Most Americans' sleep hygiene, another name for your sleep-related habits, has become downright filthy due to the global coronavirus pandemic. While the best way to protect from COVID-19 remains social distancing, isolation, and handwashing, it's also essential to go back to the basics of good health during this unprecedented time - and that includes good sleep.
Not getting a good night's sleep lowers immunity. With the strain on our healthcare system, now is not the time you want to come down with any preventable virus or bacterial infection. Of course, the anxiety, panic, and depression associated with the global pandemic make this a catch-22 for many. Good sleep is vital for healthy immunity, but an increasing number of people are having trouble sleeping. Yet, some of these sleep problems are the direct result of the changes many people have now made to their daily lives.
COVID-19 is also a reminder that good health involves a multitude of intertwined and complex variables. This helps us understand why having underlying health conditions tends to affect the course of the coronavirus in an affected individual. While good sleep won't make you immune to the virus, the current pandemic is a good reminder for all of us to go back to the basics of good health.
These are five things you need to do to sleep well during the coronavirus pandemic.
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