Ukrainians are experiencing Russian terror every day, and it intensifies at night. People no longer remember a restful eight-hour sleep; they feel internal anxiety and fear for their lives. Lack of sleep makes people broken and exhausted. After a few weeks in such conditions, you are guaranteed health problems. The Charitable Foundation "Direct Inclusion" will tell you how to protect your psyche from anxiety at night and bring back normal sleep even during the war.

It's normal to be afraid, but you need to work through it

According to somnologists (sleep experts), at about 23:00, the human body begins to produce the sleep hormone melatonin actively. If you miss it, you will feel exhausted and irritable in the morning. Today, many Ukrainians fall asleep much later, waiting for the beginning of the air alert, which became traditional at night.

Psychologists say it is impossible to eliminate anxiety in such conditions, but it is quite possible to mitigate it. Act situationally: When you wake up to an audio alert about a missile danger, move to a safe place, such as a corridor. After that, you should slow your heart rate with short breaths and long exhalations. This will stabilize the oxygen level in your blood and help you regain consciousness faster.

In addition to emergency self-help, you must manage your mental health daily. Before the victory, you should learn how to protect your psyche in frightening conditions.

Tips for mental health and good sleep from Charitable Foundation "Direct Inclusion"

It is challenging to overcome insomnia, but it is possible. Indeed, a person's efforts play a huge role. The rules of healthy sleep might seem basic to some, but you have to do it regularly:

Go to bed a little earlier. 21:00-22:00 is the ideal time to enter the deep sleep phases. Even if the air alert starts at 01:00-02:00, you will have time to get enough sleep after it goes off. According to experts, this is a feature of our body - in deep phases; the body recovers much faster.

Surround yourself with positive emotions. If you are feeling sleep-deprived but have to go to work in the morning, make your workday full of smiles and jokes. Share hugs with your colleagues, turn on music - it may seem out of place, but there is no other way to protect your psyche.

Avoid watching the news at night. Generally, it is better to put away gadgets two hours before bedtime and spend time with your family reading your favorite book or listening to music. Using devices dramatically affects the quality of sleep, as it interferes with the production of melatonin.

Change your diet. Some foods boost sleep hormones, particularly those that contain the amino acid tryptophan. It can be found in raw pumpkin seeds, bananas, cherries, cottage cheese, walnuts, rabbit, turkey, quail meat, cheeses, etc.

Charitable Foundation "Direct Inclusion" also advises preparing a sleeping place for shelter before bed. If the air alert starts at night, you will be able to move to it and continue your rest in safety.