About 78% of Americans name the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant source of stress in their lives, according to Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis, a survey conducted by The Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association (see bit.ly/3rlMoRe ). Additionally, stress is often implicated in sleep difficulty, which can perpetuate strain, reports the Sleep Foundation (see bit.ly/3uYyjvm ). As April is Stress Awareness Month, here’s some advice from mental health providers on how to get a good night’s sleep.

 

 

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• Cut out screen use about an hour before bedtime. Roughly an hour to 45 minutes before you normally go to sleep, perform your normal evening routine of shutting the windows, locking the door — whatever it may be — brush your teeth, get into your pajamas, and read a physical book vs. using a Kindle or viewing any sort of screen, recommends Paul S. Hammer, M.D., staff psychiatrist at Island Hospital, in Anacortes, Wash.
• Make a list. “I would also consider writing a list of what you’re worried about in a journal, closing the journal and then saying out loud, ‘I can’t do anything about these things tonight, so I’m not going to think about them tonight,’” Dr. Hammer says.
• Be mindful of alcohol intake. Catherine Lanteri, M.D., a psychiatrist at Lanteri Coaching and Communication (lantericoaching.com ), in Lexington, Mass., notes, “Alcohol intake can disrupt sleep and lead to irritability and even depression, if you drink in higher amounts.”
• Try mental exercises. Nick Thomarios, D.O., M.B.A., F.A.P.A., a psychiatric consultant in St. Paul, Minn., recommends deep breathing exercises (see bit.ly/2VfVwci , as an example);

Dr. Hammer suggests daily exercise (which tires the body and quells stress); and Dr. Lanteri recommends the slew of mindfulness and meditation applications available.

“I have a Type A personality, and winding down is not easy for me,” explains Kristin S. O’Brien, O.D. “I make sure to get regular massages, which helps keep my stress levels manageable. I also make time to play with my dogs every day. Regardless of how busy I am or anything else that happened during the day, their smiling faces and excitement to see me at the end of the day keeps everything else in check.”

The 2020 Stress in America survey was conducted online between Aug. 4 and Aug. 26, among 3,409 adults age 18 and older who reside in the U.S. OM