Especially when we want to sleep, images of war and suffering people seem to appear in our mind’s eye and never let us go. “The fact that we worry a lot and are afraid, especially at night, is due to our brain function – our emotions are particularly strong then and brain regions that rationalize feelings are less active,” says sleep researcher and author Dr. Christian Benedict from Uppsala University.
Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, we have been accompanied by images of war, in September 2023 Azerbaijan launched another offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh and on Saturday the radical Islamic Hamas attacked Israel – just three of the current conflicts in the world. We are confronted with images of destruction, suffering and people injured or killed. “Of course, the images of conflict are not easy to shake off; times of crisis have an impact on us. What we go through as a society also affects our sleep and means that people cannot sleep well.” It is important to recognize this and not downplay it.
Nevertheless, we should not take sleep lightly, even in times of crisis, says Christian Benedict. “Research shows that dream sleep in particular helps us to separate feelings from experiences and to scale down the feelings.” An example: In studies, participants were shown images of threatening situations (e.g., a victim of a traffic accident, a shark about to open its mouth, or a gun pointed at you). By looking at the images, the so-called amygdala in the brain is activated, which triggers the flight and fight reactions.
Sleep ensures that our brain does not bring the organism back into a complete state of alarm when we look at the pictures a second time; instead, we are aware of the threat posed by the pictures, but no longer have to act out the feelings to the same extent. “The physical stress reaction is less strong. Sleep can also make a therapeutic contribution here,” says the sleep researcher. There are ways to switch off in the evening and sleep better, even with the latest news.
The sleep researcher’s advice:
“Of course we deal with the war in Ukraine or the Hamas attack on Israel, it concerns us, we empathize with it, but it is important that we give ourselves mental breaks,” advises Benedict. These are times that are not spent in front of the screen of a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Although everyone’s sensitivity is different, it is better not to check the latest news and updates about conflicts just before going to bed: “This consumption of news causes us to become stressed, tense, unable to calm down and sleep poorly .” The expert tip: Stop looking at the TV, smartphone or social media an hour before going to bed. Mental breaks should also be incorporated into everyday life during the day.
“Exchange and conversations with family or friends help us to express our fears. We can unload baggage. But we can also rationalize our fears.”
Evening rituals can help us calm down and prepare for sleep, says Benedict. One idea: “I can write down what I would like to do the next day. This helps to prepare for the next day, plan mental breaks and at the same time distract myself before bed and take time for myself.”
If you think about the evening in the morning, you can sleep better. “If I’m physically active during the day, eat during the day, get plenty of sunlight, meet up with friends, it helps my internal clock understand where we are.” Christian Benedict knows that routines and structure are good for the internal clock as our pacemaker. “Towards the evening I should also calm down and reduce my activities so that I can prepare well for the night.” This means: It’s better to do a hard workout in the morning and just take a walk in the evening to wind down.
Who doesn’t know it: the alarm clock is set for 6 a.m., but at 2:30 a.m. you’re suddenly lying in bed wide awake, your thoughts are spinning and sleep is no longer an option. “If the family or living situation allows it, it’s best to go into the living room, for example, and distract yourself. This way the carousel of thoughts doesn’t increase in speed.” The sleep researcher recommends reading a book, listening to a podcast, an audio book or music as a distraction. It is better to avoid bright lights, the television or the news. When tiredness returns, those seeking sleep should go back to bed.
