SAN DIEGO — Not getting enough sleep? You' are not alone. Sleep experts say Nextflix and naps have taken over many Americans’ schedules since the pandemic shutdown of 2020.
"I talked to one of my patients, who said for six weeks, she never got out of her pajamas, you know, since she was working from home and off her normal routine,” said sleep expert Dr. Hal Stewart, who works as a cranial and facial airway dentist in the Dallas area.
Stewart said since COVID caused stress for so many people, many were not sleeping well, and in turn, a lack of sleep caused even more stress.
Both health experts and business insiders saw a spike in sales of melatonin by more than 40% in 2020 due to sleeplessness.
Mother of two boys Angelina Vicknair said more moms were turning to melatonin occasionally for their children.
"They settle down a lot faster, and I’m not hearing a lot of calling from the room," said Vicknair of New Orleans.
More parents are asking about the safety of the dietary supplement for kids in virtual learning, who are glued to computer screens, TVs and phones and won't go to bed on time.
"What we don't have is a lot of studies on the long term effects of melatonin and whether it can interfere with growth development long-term side effects,” said Tulane pediatrician Dr. Nicole Sheldon.
Sheldon said temporary melatonin use and at the lowest dose possible is recommended with pediatrician consultation, but Stewart said watch out as many supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA and could do more harm than good in the long run.
“There’s literally a pill for everything and drug companies are advertising right to the general public, so unless you have a condition, the body is perfectly capable of allowing you to sleep if you give it a chance,” Stewart said.
With more suffering from COVID-somnia, or insomnia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what is a cure?
“What we want is a routine, where we are not watching a screen for a couple hours before we got to sleep,” Stewart said.
Getting 45 minutes of daily exercise, a proper diet, and going to sleep with white noise in the background in a dark and cold room are also recommended to catch the most Z's. With more stay at home orders lifted, it could soon be lights out on more COVID-somnia cases as well.
"Once these restrictions start letting up, you're going to see people overall sleep better and feel better,” Stewart said.
