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SLEEP SABOTAGE: OT Experts Offer Checklist for Better Sleep During Stressful Times for Adults, Teens and Young Children

  • Wednesday, April 29, 2020, 9:43 am
  • ACROFAN=Seunghee Shin
  • seunghee.shin@acrofan.com
 Work-from-home orders and social isolation habits are needed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but the resulting lack of traditional schedules and heightened worry about the outbreak has led to a rise of insomnia and stress-related sleep disorders. To help prevent these negative sleep habits, occupational therapy (OT) students from Chatham University have shared practical advice to improve sleep quality during quarantine and help avoid sleep-related health problems.

“Rest and sleep are more valuable to our daily health than many people realize, and it's very easy for our sleep schedule to be thrown off by inconsistencies like the coronavirus shutdown,” says Chatham University occupational therapy student Evan Buchheit. “If you’re not following a normal sleep schedule that’s governed by work, school, commuting, and other established time-based routines, the hours and days can start to seem like they’re blending together, which makes it difficult for your body to follow its natural rhythm and perform at its best.”

Buchheit and his fellow OT students have developed a checklist of positive sleep-related behaviors that can help improve sleep quality for people of all ages and are available to discuss their tips for family members of all ages.

“Following these tips helps establish a new personal routine so your mind and body will perform better throughout the day, even if your traditional work and life routines are disrupted during the shutdown,” says Becky Moyer, Doctor of Occupational Therapy Student at Chatham University.

Chatham University’s occupational health instructors and students are available to share more insights and self-care tips to establish healthy physical, mental, and emotional behaviors during quarantine and help avoid “shutdown burnout.”