Are you losing sleep over the election? While stressful events like elections often aggravate insomnia symptoms in people who experience them regularly, even those who don’t typically find it difficult to fall asleep at night struggle to get a good night's sleep with this year's presidential race.
Michelle Drerup, a sleep disorder specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, and another colleague, coined the term “electsomnia,” a phenomenon they began to notice in the last election cycle.
But does this mean you are doomed not to have a good night's sleep until the results are in? Drerup says monitoring and reframing your thoughts at night can help ease some anxiety. Monitoring social media use throughout the day can be equally important.
“We're bombarded with so much social media, right? That's definitely a difference within the past decade. People consume it not only a lot during the day but also before bedtime. So, putting some parameters and boundaries on that, limit the exposure throughout the day, especially before bedtime,” said Drerup.
Many people are concerned about election results, but this election has been particularly polarizing. Drerup says it’s important to remember this isn’t the only time we’ve had controversy surrounding an election.
Drerup also said to consult a specialist if difficulty sleeping persists after the election.
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