This pandemic is a pandemic of emotional distress too! It is a crisis of humanity, which reminded us “Who” we are and “How” vulnerable we are. This crisis has led us to understand we are “ONE”. We are “ONE” to feel the same pain in our life, we are “ONE” to feel the same helplessness, we are “ONE” to face the same fight. We are “ONE” in our experience. This pandemic has taught us the biggest lesson of our survival in this 21st century.
However, in this entire gamut of difficulties, it has disproportionately affected women and has impeded women in the present. Also, it has negatively affected their futures. Women’s experiences to balance work and life along with economic wellbeing, attributed to a significant toll on their mental and physical health. In this game of balancing, one of the most critical aspects of healthy wellbeing they sacrifice is – Sleep!
You woman, when did you last sleep without worrying about unending list of chores you need to complete next day? A research paper in 2014 said we women are twice as likely to have insomnia compared to men. Although the main culprit is considered to be female hormones, some of it has to do with the day-to-day activities of a woman’s life too. Despite significant talks on roles sharing, Indian women are still often the primary caregivers for children and elderly relatives at the same time. In general, women tend to multitask. We are more flexible and can do lot of things at once compared to men. All these factors decrease our sleep time considerably.
Experts point out that an average adult needs between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to feel refreshed. Then due to habit of multi-management and getting things perfectly done, women squeeze this sleeping time to less than required without knowing the damages they are doing for self. The downsides of this sleep deprivation for women cause hypertension, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, depression, and many more associated diseases. Proper sleep is one of the best ways to get your immune system better. Research says the fluctuations of our menstrual cycles also set the stage for our poor sleep. In addition, women are more prone to mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, leaving us more vulnerable to sleep. During menstruation, one-third of women have trouble sleeping due to cramps, headaches, and bloating. They report higher levels of daytime sleepiness, tiredness, and fatigue. Also, pregnancy, the post-delivery period and menopause, can also create mayhem with regular schedules and sleep for us. Many of the chemicals in the brain that can be interrupted in mood swings are also involved in regulating our sleep.
This has left us with a question, how the healing can happen. In order to heal, it can’t be an individual process. Distress could be large; difficulties may be larger. Coping up with this reality is way higher than expected, but we all are together and have to look forward to find a solution as a woman that how to have better control over life and work and focus on self.
The best way to know if you’re getting enough sleep is, whether you feel refreshed and restored when you wake up next day. Personally, I had been a victim of sleep deprivation. Also, the Covid aftereffects made it worse. It was difficult to get sleep and more difficult to go back to sleep once you woke up in the middle of night. My mind was always busy with arranging or planning for next day’s work. This led to insomnia and lack of energy as a whole.
It is important to take charge of your weakness. If you are aware and not doing anything to get it back to track, it would not help. I took a few steps to get my sleep back. I started observing sleeping and waking up at the same time to trick and train my sleep cycle, tried for routine bed and wake times without alarm, limiting my caffeine in the evening, and stopped piling up my sleep for the weekend. You eat and breathe every day. You don’t wait for the weekends to do it just because you are working at night. I tried really hard to put away all electronic gadgets at least half an hour prior to sleep and stick to build a bedtime routine to calm down my mind and body before going to sleep. After a month or so following above, I started getting proper 7-8 hours of sound sleep. I now strongly believe that one can herself initiate steps to get her sleep back. Sleep is one of the most effective things we can do to reset our brain and body health each day. It is an in-built part of our lives. A deep and fulfilled sleep is one of the most important aspects of holistic well-being The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span. Let us not forget this. May we all get our share of sleep today onwards.
By Shyamasree Chakraborty
Shyamasree Chakraborty is the Senior Director of Business Solutions and Delivery at Happy+. As HR solution delivery leader, she has extensive experience in working with people, projects, and processes at the global level. She is a firm believer in the emotional well-being of people and harnesses the power of positive psychology to create a significant impact on mental health. She can be reached at shyamasree.chk@gmail.com
Facebook Comments