Can’t Sleep During Election Season?
Can’t Sleep During Election Season?
OK, I’m a bit hesitant to write about anything related to politics because I don’t want sides or issues clouding the real message here. The real focus is how elections affect our sleep and stress, something I learned from a fascinating presentation by sleep neuroscientist Dr. Els van der Helm. So, while I’ll mention elections, let’s keep this space politics-free and focus on well-being! 😊
OK…now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s admit election time often feels like a pressure-cooker. Research from the 2020 election shows just how much it impacts public mood, stress and sleep. Stress and sleep have a two-way relationship – poor sleep increases stress, and stress makes it harder to get good sleep. This creates a vicious cycle, and let’s take a look under the hood to understand it better.
How Stress and Sleep are Intertwined in the Brain
Sleep is key to keeping our emotions in-check. The amygdala – our brain’s “threat detection system” – fires up when it senses danger, triggering the fight-or-flight response. When well-rested, the medial prefrontal cortex helps regulate the amygdala, calming those emotional reactions and helping us make rational decisions. For example, after getting a stressful email, your well-rested brain will tell you to take a step back, maybe view things from the sender’s perspective and respond thoughtfully.
But when you’re sleep-deprived, your prefrontal cortex doesn’t function as well, meaning it can’t keep the amygdala in-check. You’re essentially “all gas, no brakes,” as sleep expert Dr. Matt Walker puts it. This leads to heightened emotional responses, making you more reactive, irritable, and less able to handle stress. You’ve probably noticed how, after a rough night of sleep, even the smallest things can push you over the edge.
On top of that, common sleep issues like difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, or experiencing lighter, less restorative sleep are more likely when you’re stressed. It’s a rough cycle that many of us fall into during high stress times like elections.
What the 2020 Election Taught Us Sleep Geeks
Based on the findings in “How the 2020 US Presidential election impacted sleep and its relationship to public mood and alcohol consumption,” published in the Journal of the National Sleep Foundation in 2022, researchers studied the effects of election-related stress and sleep. Both U.S. and non-U.S. participants reported significant decreases in sleep duration and quality on election night. People spent less time in bed, experienced more fragmented sleep, and struggled to fall asleep – whether they were staying up late or not.
Not surprisingly, alcohol also played a role. Participants who consumed more alcohol on election night spent even less time in bed and got shorter sleep overall. While alcohol may seem like a good idea to calm your nerves, it actually leaves you struggling more the next day. It is also worth noting that spikes in alcohol-related bad sleep did not occur just on election night during the study, which spanned slightly more than one year. Halloween night was a spike, as well as the night that the election results were confirmed, however these nights were still better than the election night in terms of sleep, stress and negative mood. And, since this study spanned from March 2020 into April 2021, they had the baseline of the COVID stress factored in…and the stress and negative mood of COVID over this period was virtually NOTHING in comparison to the election night. So, consider giving yourself and others some added compassion and patience for how trying this season can be.
Top 5 Sleep-Saving Tips to Combat Election Stress
Limit News Consumption: Our news runs 24/7 and scrolling can keep you wired. Set specific times to check the news and avoid it altogether the hour (or 10!) before bed.
Create an Alternate Account: The account that feeds you the political news is likely going to keep you trapped in that algorithm. Consider a separate social media account focused solely on positive content like uplifting news, cute animals or inspirational quotes.
Skip the Alcohol: That stiff drink degrades your sleep, regardless of your mood or stress level.
Take Breaks During the Day: Take a walk or do five minutes of patterned breathing. This will help lower stress levels throughout the year, not just during intense phases.
Next-Day Precautions: If you had a bad night’s sleep, consider not driving the next day for safety reasons, and, if you can, possibly take a short nap to try and catch up on some sleep.
Election times can be taxing on our stress levels, our mood and our sleep – and the science proves it. Take care of yourself, because while the elections come and go, your well-being is with you for the long haul.
