MALAYSIANS are having trouble sleeping due to Covid-related anxieties, the prolonged lockdown, and their financial situation, health experts said.

They told The Malaysian Insight that this is dangerous as continuous sleep deprivation may lead to fatigue and other health problems such as weight gain and sleep apnoea.

Meanwhile, those suffering from sleep problems told The Malaysian Insight that they have been plagued by the issue since early this year, after the government implemented a second lockdown and put a stop to all social activities.

Dr Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin, consultant psychiatrist at University Malaya said at the start of the lockdown in March last year, most Malaysians filled their time by binging on Korean dramas and sleeping late as they did not have to travel to work.

This in return, he said, affected many people’s sleep routine and subsequently led to sleeping difficulties.

“Our sleeping sanctuary was also affected, for example the room meant mainly for sleep, was now also used for work.

“Lately, sleep challenges have been due to prolonged stress and to a certain level, Covid-19 burnout. The inability to exercise for some due to the many restrictions might also contribute to sleep problems,” he said.

Amer added that anxiety and stress from loss of work and income may also lead to sleeping problems.

“Some of us are more affected than others due to overwork or loss of work.

“We would ruminate (on our problems) at night for example,” he said, adding that this may lead to depression.

Sleep hygiene
Lai Chen Wen, a clinical psychologist from Aloe Mind, a mental health service provider, said that one way to regulate sleep is through sleep hygiene, which is a routine one follows through before preparing themselves for slumber. 

“Sleep hygiene can be tailored according to an individual’s needs, but generally there are four main aspects that one should look into: practicing a healthy lifestyle, setting a sleep schedule, adjusting the room environment and following a nightly routine,” she said.

Lai added that it is imperative to maintain good sleep hygiene to avoid health and life issues.

“Insufficient sleep can lead to fatigue, poor memory, inability to concentrate and an irritable mood. In the long run, it would result in the impairment in their mental and physical wellbeing, social relationships and academic or work performance,” she said.

Both Amer and Lai agreed that if the lockdown continues and people experience more anxiety over their finances, job, family and health, there will be more people who will suffer from sleep problems.

Seek help and support
Amer suggested that those who have sleep problems seek help from a psychiatrist, a neurologist or an ear, nose and throat doctor to understand their sleep patterns.

“If you happen to have obstructive sleep apnoea, as a cause of sleep challenge, this is easily rectified,” he said.

Lai suggested reaching out to friends and family to speak about one’s problems and investing time and energy into doing activities that makes one happy.

“Another option would be to reach out to a professional to talk about your issues to explore how you could cope with the situation,” she said.

Mediation, music and white noise to help encourage sleep

N. Shashikala, who used to have a very strict sleep routine, said she has been having difficulty falling asleep since February due to a heightened level of anxiety.

“I have a very strict routine for my sleep. I go into my room around 11pm, I do my diary, I have a ritual that I follow very carefully so that by midnight I’m already in bed.

“Since February, there are days that an entire night goes by and I’m not sleeping at all. Sometimes I get around two or three hours of sleep, but most times you feel like you haven’t slept at all,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Sashikala said that the reason for her sleeping issues can be to anxiety arising from a fear of contracting Covid-19 and accidentally passing it to her elderly parents, who are both in their 80s.

“I have to go out to buy food and then take them for their medical appointments, etc. There’s always this anxiety when you come back with something and you pass it to them. Can you imagine being responsible for them falling sick?

“I go to sleep thinking ‘I’m safe for today, am I safe for tomorrow? Are the people around me safe?” she added.

Sashikala has tried various home remedies such as listening to white noise, drinking warm milk before sleep, and melatonin. However, none of it managed to resolve her sleeping troubles.

“I got my second jab already, so I’m hoping that some of this anxiety will dampen down a bit,” she said.

Leong, who works as a business development manager cited cabin fever as the cause of his sleep troubles.

“The pandemic has deprived us of the freedom of movement. We are being forced to stay trapped in the same environment and this has significantly altered our way of life,” he said.

He said his sleep routine is very bad, to the extent where he regularly experiences two sleepless nights in a row, before the fatigue finally sets in on the third night, when he actually gets a good rest.

Meanwhile, John, who also suffers from sleep deprivation, said he has started sleeping later and waking up earlier.

“I sleep around 2am or 2.30am but by 6.30am or 7am I’m awake. I’m not sure what’s the problem but I can’t switch my mind off when I go to sleep. I start thinking about a lot of things,” he said.

He has recently turned to meditation and listening to music to relax his mind and drift to sleep.

“Sometimes I take my dogs out for walks late at night to relax,” John said.

For Dev, he suffers from sleeping problems despite consistent exercise and feeling physically tired.

“Even after exercising for an hour, like jogging, I hit the sack tired but can’t fall asleep.

“The doctor said it could be stress which is unusual as I never encountered this during the first MCO. Only the latest lockdown put me in this situation,” he said.

According to Amer, it is important for an adult to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night.

He suggested using a wearable device such as a smartwatch to track one’s sleep patterns to better understand their sleep quality.

The Sleep Disorder Society Malaysia in a recent article said that Malaysians across all age groups are suffering from sleep disorders.

It attributed the problem to Malaysians having been cooped up at home for almost 16 months, and the excessive use of electronic devices due to work-from-home arrangements and the home-based teaching and learning system. – July 22, 2021.