Modern Stressors: From Pandemic “Coronasomnia” to 24/7 Connectivity
The years since 2020 have been particularly brutal for sleep. If you’ve noticed your sleep health declining, you’re far from alone. The COVID-19 pandemic created what researchers dubbed “coronasomnia”—a surge of sleep complaints driven by fear of illness, social isolation, disrupted routines, and increased screen time at night.
Even as acute pandemic stressors have eased, many people are left with lasting sleep disruptions:
- Blurred boundaries between work and home life, with laptops in bedrooms
- 24/7 connectivity that keeps the brain in threat-monitoring mode well into the night
- Inconsistent bedtimes that developed during lockdowns and never corrected
- Late-night streaming habits that displaced sleep
- Increased alcohol use as a coping mechanism (which fragments sleep later in the night)
For vulnerable individuals, this prolonged period of sleep disruption coincided with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use across the general population. The data underscores an important point: sleep disturbances aren’t just uncomfortable—they’re often the first domino to fall before other mental health conditions follow.
If your sleep never quite recovered after 2020, that’s worth taking seriously.
Everyday Habits That Can Protect or Harm Your Sleep (and Mood)
What you do during the day and evening powerfully shapes both your sleep quality and emotional stability. The good news: many of these factors are within your control.
Protective Habits for Better Sleep
- Keep a consistent wake time—even on weekends (this is more important than bedtime)
- Get outside in morning light to anchor your circadian rhythm
- Establish a wind-down routine starting 30-60 minutes before bed
- Dim lights in the evening to signal your brain that sleep is approaching
- Avoid caffeine after early afternoon (it has a half-life of 5-6 hours)
- Use relaxation techniques like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation before bed
Harmful Habits to Avoid
- Scrolling on phones in bed (blue light plus mental activation)
- Falling asleep to streaming shows nightly (prevents natural sleep onset)
- Late-evening heavy meals (digestion interferes with sleep)
- Using alcohol to initiate sleep (fragments sleep architecture in the second half of the night)
- Napping late in the day (reduces sleep drive at bedtime)
Some foods containing tryptophan or melatonin—like tart cherry juice, kiwi, or dairy—may have modest sleep benefits. But no food can compensate for poor sleep habits or untreated mental health conditions.
It’s also worth noting that chronic short sleep is associated with weight gain, increased appetite for high-calorie foods, and lower motivation to exercise. These physical health changes then feed back into lower mood, creating yet another vicious cycle. Getting enough sleep protects multiple aspects of your well-being and overall health simultaneously.
Treatment Options: When Sleep Disturbances Require Professional Help
If sleep problems last longer than 3–4 weeks, cause daytime impairment, or come with noticeable mood changes, it’s time to seek professional evaluation rather than just “pushing through.” This isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Early intervention prevents problems from compounding.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
CBT-I is the first-line, evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia—recommended by the American Psychiatric Association and sleep medicine specialists alike. It’s more effective than sleeping pills for long-term results and doesn’t carry risks of dependence.
CBT-I targets unhelpful sleep habits and anxiety about sleep using techniques like:
- Stimulus control: Re-associating your bed with sleep rather than wakefulness
- Sleep restriction: Temporarily limiting time in bed to increase sleep efficiency
- Cognitive restructuring: Challenging catastrophic thoughts about sleep
- Relaxation strategies: Reducing physiological arousal at bedtime
Integrated Treatment for Sleep + Mental Health
When sleep disturbance is driven by depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, or PTSD, a combination of psychotherapy and carefully managed medications is often most effective. Treating sleep alone won’t address the underlying condition, and treating the mental health condition alone may leave insomnia symptoms partially unresolved.
This is where comprehensive clinics like Atlantic Behavioral Health provide significant value. Their model coordinates therapists, prescribers, and other clinicians working together to address both sleep and underlying mental health issues. Rather than bouncing between separate providers, you receive integrated care that recognizes the connection between how you sleep and how you feel.
When Medical Evaluation Is Needed
Not all sleep problems are psychological. If you have persistent snoring, gasping at night, or unrefreshing sleep despite adequate time in bed, you may have obstructive sleep apnea or another medical sleep disorder. Sleep apnea requires evaluation by a sleep specialist, as it carries its own mental health risks and won’t respond to behavioral treatments alone.
When Sleep Changes Mean You Should Act Now
Certain patterns of sleep disruption are urgent warning signs that require prompt attention—not weeks of “wait and see.”
Red Flags That Require Immediate Attention
- Sudden, drastic reduction in need for sleep (sleeping 2-3 hours but feeling energized) combined with unusually high energy, racing thoughts, or risky behavior—this may indicate mania
- New early-morning awakenings combined with hopeless mood, loss of interest, and withdrawal
- Frequent nightmares about trauma with increasing avoidance and hypervigilance
- Any sleep disturbance accompanied by thoughts of self-harm or suicide
If you’re experiencing suicidal ideation or thoughts that life isn’t worth living, please seek immediate help through emergency services, crisis hotlines (988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or your local emergency room. These thoughts are treatable, but they require urgent intervention.
Tracking Your Patterns
For less acute concerns, consider tracking your sleep and mood for 1–2 weeks using a simple log. Note:
- What time you went to bed and woke up
- How long it took to fall asleep
- Number of awakenings
- How rested you felt in the morning
- Your overall mood that day
Sharing this information with a mental health provider helps guide diagnosis and treatment. It also helps you notice patterns you might otherwise miss.
Seeking help early—through providers like Atlantic Behavioral Health—can prevent symptoms from progressing and support recovery of healthy sleep and emotional balance. You don’t have to wait until trouble sleeping becomes clinical depression or anxiety becomes debilitating. The warning signs are there for a reason.
FAQ
How long should I wait before worrying that my sleep problem is a mental health warning sign?
Occasional poor nights happen to everyone and aren’t cause for alarm. But if difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early persist for more than 2–4 weeks and start affecting your mood, concentration, relationships, or work performance, it’s time to talk with a healthcare or mental health provider. The threshold isn’t about perfection—it’s about patterns that persist and impair your life.
Can improving my sleep alone cure anxiety or depression?
Better sleep often significantly reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and makes therapy more effective. However, moderate to severe anxiety or major depressive disorder usually need a broader treatment plan including psychotherapy and possibly medication. Think of sleep improvement as a crucial component of recovery—not the sole cure. Addressing sleep first or simultaneously can accelerate overall improvement and prevent relapse.
Is it dangerous to rely on over-the-counter sleep aids or alcohol to sleep?
Occasional short-term use of some sleep aids may be safe for certain people, but regular reliance on pills or alcohol creates problems. Alcohol in particular disrupts sleep architecture (especially REM sleep) and leads to fragmented sleep in the second half of the night. Both can mask serious mental health or medical issues that need proper treatment. If you find yourself needing something every night to sleep, that’s a sign to seek professional guidance.
How can I tell if my teen’s late nights are normal or a problem?
Teenagers naturally shift toward later sleep timing—this is biological, not defiance. However, concerning signs include: consistent bedtimes past midnight on school nights, sleeping in past noon on weekends, falling grades, withdrawal from friends, clear mood changes, or expressing hopelessness. If sleep schedule disruption accompanies these other factors, it may indicate developing mental health issues worth discussing with a professional. Blood relatives with mood disorders may increase risk.
What should I bring to my first appointment about sleep and mental health?
Come prepared with a 1–2 week sleep diary (bedtime, wake time, awakenings, sleep quality ratings), a list of all medications and substances you use (including caffeine and alcohol amounts), notes about your mood patterns, and any questions or concerns. Information about other factors like major life stressors, family history of mental illness, and previous treatment helps too. Centers like Atlantic Behavioral Health use this information to tailor therapy and medication management to each person’s unique needs and experience, ensuring you receive care that actually fits your situation.
