More of us than usual in a typical year have lost loved ones in the COVID-19 pandemic. As anyone who has ever grieved before knows, grief can seriously disrupt your sleep. And when you can\u2019t get the sleep you need to stay physically and emotionally well, the difficult feelings that accompany grief can become overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how does grief affect sleep\u2014and what can you do about it to ensure you’re able to be present to your grief while not being consumed by it? Here’s what you need to know. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s make something clear: You don\u2019t \u201cget over,\u201d or \u201cmove on\u201d from, an important loss. The loss will change your life forever, so it\u2019s best to make sure you understand there is no stopwatch running on your particular experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adjusting to the loss takes time\u2014sometimes a very long time\u2014as you move through the grief process<\/a> and eventually find a way to carry on. It takes effort to do that, and it can be tough when you sometimes may not even feel like moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing someone dear means you need to find new ways to take care of yourself\u2014and sleep is one of the parts of everyday life that’s likely to require some focused effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cause of a loved one\u2019s death can play a big role in the grief of those left behind. A suicide death<\/a>, for example, can be particularly traumatic for survivors, compounded by stigma that can make it hard to reach out to others for support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing a spouse<\/a> is another big sleep disruptor. In fact, this particular loss may be the most likely to cause insomnia<\/a>. Studies by Rice University and Northwestern University have found that people who were recently widowed were two to three times more likely<\/a> to experience inflammation because of sleep disturbances. Inflammation has been tied to increased risk of cardiovascular and other negative physical effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing a parent is a rough experience for people of any age, though research shows younger children are more at risk for depression and other side effects after one of their parents has passed away. An estimated one in 20 children under age 15 will develop mental health issues<\/a> after losing a parent during their childhood years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grief manifests itself in all sorts of physical and emotional ways. Many report feeling new aches and pains or generally feeling tired and having less energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll of these symptoms,\u201d writes Carolyn Burke at SleepAdvisor.org<\/a>, \u201care not only partially caused by sleep deprivation, they also make getting to sleep even harder. It\u2019s a vicious cycle that leads to the most common effect of grief on sleep: insomnia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eleanor Haley, writing<\/a> for the What’s Your Grief blog, lists these reasons a griever may have a hard time sleeping after a death:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grief manifests itself in all sorts of physical and emotional ways. Many report feeling new aches and pains or generally feeling tired and having less energy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Although grief typically begins to subside within the first six months after the trauma, people whose grief experiences don\u2019t seem to lessen are potentially at risk for what is called \u201ccomplicated grief<\/a>,\u201d \u201ctraumatic grief,\u201d or \u201cprolonged grief syndrome.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n An estimated 7-20% of those coping with a loss experience the additional challenges of grief that continue to be immediate and intense. People who’ve had a difficult time dealing with earlier losses in particular may require extra help<\/a> in coping with grief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, grief and sleep loss can become locked in a vicious cycle where grief causes sleep problems and those sleep problems exacerbate the grief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kristi Hugstad, grief recovery specialist and host of \u201cThe Grief Girl,\u201d writes in HuffPost<\/em><\/a>, \u201cSleep is crucial for healing\u2014both emotionally and physically, and it\u2019s important to remember that grief can be as physically debilitating as it is emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hugstad offers these tips for helping you get a good night\u2019s sleep if you’re grieving:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSleep is crucial for healing\u2014both emotionally and physically, and it\u2019s important to remember that grief can be as physically debilitating as it is emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
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How to sleep better when you’re grieving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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