{"id":3325,"date":"2026-01-09T08:50:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T08:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/09\/dont-let-politics-ruin-your-sleep-use-these-expert-tips-instead-2\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T08:50:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T08:50:28","slug":"dont-let-politics-ruin-your-sleep-use-these-expert-tips-instead-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/09\/dont-let-politics-ruin-your-sleep-use-these-expert-tips-instead-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t let politics ruin your sleep. Use these expert tips instead"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/ai-article-summary\/instances\/cm8elia9x00013b6mgtnirdo5@published\" class=\"ai-article-summary hidden \" data-article-gutter=\"true\" data-selector-brand=\"accent-ai\">    <button class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle\">        <strong class=\"ai-article-summary__title\">            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__stars-icon\">            <\/span>            <span>Summary<\/span>        <\/strong>            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle-caret-up\" aria-label=\"Toggle Article Summary\"><\/span>            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle-caret-down\" aria-label=\"Toggle Article Summary\"><\/span>    <\/button>    <\/p>\n<div class=\"ai-article-summary__collapsible\">\n<ul class=\"ai-article-summary__items\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Political and societal upheavals can disrupt sleep and trigger insomnia in vulnerable individuals, according to sleep experts.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Chronic insomnia may lead to serious health complications including heart attacks and stroke.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Doomscrolling, caffeine consumption and anxiety about sleep can create vicious cycles that perpetuate sleep problems.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Try setting a news curfew and avoiding substances like alcohol to improve sleep quality.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia helps regulate sleep schedules and retrain the brain to associate your bed with rest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"ai-article-summary__footer\">            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__disclaimer-text\">This summary was AI-generated and reviewed by CNN editors.<\/span>                                <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm88937u900003b6mawmjag3j@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The future of Ukraine. A looming trade war. Stock market turmoil. Rising prices for consumers in the midst of thousands of layoffs, with more to come. Whether your politics make you anxious or exhilarated by the events of the day, there\u2019s no doubt that change and uncertainty breed stress.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000r3b6m9efg10va@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Stress, of course, can disrupt sleep. For some, that stress can lead to insomnia, an inability to fall or stay asleep or waking up much earlier than desired. Chronic insomnia may lead to serious health issues, including heart attacks and stroke.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000s3b6mh9ssfboc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cEveryone has a specific threshold for insomnia, and sometimes precipitating factors can break through the threshold and you can\u2019t sleep. The stressors could be personal, professional, environmental, even political,\u201d said sleep researcher Dr. Ana Krieger, a professor of clinical medicine in the departments of medicine, neurology and genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000t3b6mo6jrnu7v@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Cases of insomnia have tended to rise during previous political and societal upheaval, said Michelle Drerup, a psychologist in the sleep disorders clinic of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000u3b6mt5oombpx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe\u2019ve seen this throughout the past several decades,\u201d Drerup said. \u201cOftentimes it\u2019s people who are vulnerable or people who already have occasional difficulties, and this tips them over the edge.\u201d    <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h3\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm8899on4001j3b6mlykjabt3@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"how-to-know-if-your-sleep-is-at-risk\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        How to know if your sleep is at risk<\/h3>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000v3b6m4axcpt65@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Good sleepers may be more immune to the effects of stress on their nighttime slumber, Krieger said. However, for people who have trouble drifting off or for those with sleep fragmentation \u2014 brief but frequent awakenings during the night \u2014 ongoing stress from the news can turn the occasional bad night of sleep into a real problem.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000w3b6mdwwprwvi@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Age is also a risk factor \u2014 older adults may already have issues with sleep due to existing health conditions, medications and chronic pain, and so may be especially sensitive to additional stress. Women also have higher rates of insomnia than men, as do people with family members who have insomnia, Drerup said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000x3b6m5osy5wf9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere\u2019s a genetic predisposition, but there\u2019s also a behavioral impact,\u201d she added. \u201cIf I am in an environment where my parents are up late, that will potentially impact my sleep schedule. Family history of mental health issues, specifically anxiety, is another predisposing factor.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cm8ekve2j000t3b6mrryelt4w@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content_full-width related-content_full-width--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"related-content_full-width__image image__related-content\">            <\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content_full-width__headline\">            <span class=\"related-content_full-width__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/span>      <span class=\"related-content_full-width__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Your boozy nightcap is disrupting your sleep. Try these tips instead<\/span>    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h3\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm8899oo1001k3b6mv2h5sphu@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"dont-turn-to-the-dark-side-of-insomnia\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Don\u2019t turn to the dark side of insomnia<\/h3>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000y3b6ma0aw4w88@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Having an occasional bout of insomnia is common, said sleep specialist Jennifer Mundt, an associate clinical professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah who sees patients at the school\u2019s Sleep Wake Center.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z000z3b6mp9zypqgp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cInsomnia is a normal reaction to change in stress, even a good change,\u201d Mundt said. \u201cYou might get married, get a new job, have a baby, but they still create stress and that can still disrupt your sleep. So it\u2019s quite normal to have a temporary bout of insomnia, and then typically, sleep will go back to baseline.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00103b6mgqm120xr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            However, some people develop unhelpful habits and ways of thinking about sleep that create a vicious cycle, said Krieger, who is also director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00113b6m0yabvcky@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cEventually, many people develop what are called perpetuating factors, or ways they try to cope, which often are not healthy or good for sleep and which can cause chronic insomnia,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have patients who can\u2019t sleep and start watching the news or read it on their phones. They turn on the lights, they eat. We even have some who play tennis or exercise in the middle of the night.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cm889e8cl00203b6misgqe1y0@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content_full-width related-content_full-width--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"related-content_full-width__image image__related-content\">            <\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content_full-width__headline\">            <span class=\"related-content_full-width__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/span>      <span class=\"related-content_full-width__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Regular exercise is associated with less insomnia, study shows<\/span>    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00123b6mbxwgrdyk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            While experts encourage getting out of bed after 30 minutes of tossing and turning, it\u2019s not wise to expose your eyes to the blue light of electronic devices during the middle of the night. Doing so just sends a message to the brain that turns off melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleepiness, Krieger said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00133b6m4txft6rf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Eating during the night can lead to heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux, which can disrupt sleep. Exercising in the middle of the night raises body temperature, heart rate and stress hormones, which can derail attempts to doze off.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00143b6m0qqlcj2x@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            One of the worst behaviors a person with occasional insomnia can do is fret about it, said Dr. Elizabeth Klerman, a professor of neurology in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00153b6m078qsxwn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cHowever, I can sympathize with that behavior. I don\u2019t know about you, but if I\u2019m awake in the middle of the night, I think about how the world\u2019s horrible, everything is bad, nobody likes me and I\u2019m never going to go back to sleep again,\u201d said Klerman, who is also a sleep researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and sleep physician at Brigham and Young Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00163b6m0izkjcsx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe owe it to people who are awake in the middle of the night to study what is happening, and provide more support for them,\u201d she said.    <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h3\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm8899oo2001l3b6m7b1elknc@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"how-to-stop-insomnia-from-becoming-chronic\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        How to stop insomnia from becoming chronic<\/h3>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00173b6mdxhq7q0v@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            There are tried and true techniques that can help you get your sleep back on track, experts say. First, stop doomscrolling.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00183b6m52jd5f6t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI talk to a lot of my patients about setting a news curfew,\u201d Mundt said. \u201cChecking news and social media right up until bedtime won\u2019t work. You need a buffer of an hour or so between keeping track of what\u2019s going on and giving yourself time to unwind so you can sleep.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z00193b6m18wma5ch@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Avoid substances such as alcohol and drugs to wind down at the end of the day, as those can backfire, she said.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cm889expl00223b6mm4k4osfz@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content_full-width related-content_full-width--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"related-content_full-width__image image__related-content\">            <\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content_full-width__headline\">            <span class=\"related-content_full-width__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/span>      <span class=\"related-content_full-width__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">What to do on the nights you are struggling with insomnia, according to experts<\/span>    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001a3b6m6jg67yly@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThose can just make your sleep worse,\u201d Mundt said. \u201cAvoid having too much caffeine during the day to try to compensate for not sleeping well \u2014 that can become a vicious cycle where you don\u2019t sleep well, and then you have more caffeine, and then you don\u2019t sleep well.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001b3b6mf30534d5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            And remember, if you\u2019re always thinking about how to get sleep, the harder it becomes to fall asleep, Mundt said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001c3b6mfvg367gf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWhen people start having insomnia, they can fixate on that, which then becomes a big source of anxiety,\u201d she said. \u201cIt can become this really vicious cycle where the anxiety about sleep is the main thing feeding the sleep problem.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001d3b6mcg4o7gqq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cRemember, the perpetuating factors are really your behaviors and cognitions,\u201d she said. \u201cThose have the potential to keep the insomnia going even when the stress resolves. It\u2019s these vicious cycles that we want to look out for.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001e3b6m3c7zdgg3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            For those who need professional help, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, aptly named CBT-I, is widely considered the gold standard treatment, Mundt said. One key focus is on improving sleep schedules.<strong><\/strong>    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cm8ekw7wg000y3b6mr7mv5xds@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content_full-width related-content_full-width--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"related-content_full-width__image image__related-content\">            <\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content_full-width__headline\">            <span class=\"related-content_full-width__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/span>      <span class=\"related-content_full-width__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">What\u2019s \u2018sleepmaxxing\u2019? Experts weigh in on the social media trend<\/span>    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001f3b6mra77gwrl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe have them track their sleep pattern with a log and then customize their sleep schedule to really regulate their sleep biology so that it gets more consolidated and more consistent,\u201d she said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001g3b6mzqdgjv66@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Another focus of CBT-I is to retrain the brain to see the bed as a welcoming, calming place.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001h3b6mbpnxsipm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWith insomnia, people spend a lot of time awake in bed. They\u2019re frustrated and anxious, and that all becomes associated with the bed, turning it into this really negative place,\u201d Mundt said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8899o5z001i3b6md17cig26@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThis is where we talk about only going to bed if you\u2019re sleepy and not using your bed for things other than sleep<strong>, <\/strong>and actually getting out of bed if you\u2019re not sleeping for a while,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to recondition and change those negative associations.\u201d    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary Political and societal upheavals can disrupt sleep and trigger insomnia in vulnerable individuals, according to sleep experts. Chronic insomnia may lead to serious health complications including heart attacks and stroke. Doomscrolling, caffeine consumption and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[119],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sleep"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3325\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenhealthysecrets.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}