ShareGUIDE: COVID-19
April 7th, 2020
PSA: Lonely? Worried about COVID-19? FEMA has created a hotline that you can call, 24/7, if you need to talk to someone. It is confidential and you’ll speak with trained counselors that will help you cope with stress and anxiety. Just enter your zip code and you’ll be transferred to a counselor:
1-866-310-7977
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) virus, we thought it’d be a good idea to share some resources, tips and tricks for us Greenvillians. For now, we’re bundling these resources up and calling it, ‘ShareGUIDE: COVID-19’ (our brains are fried from being indoors 24/7 – we will gladly take suggestions on the name).
Our plan is to release a new ShareGUIDE: COVID-19 once every week until ‘normalcy’ ensues. Stories will always be shared; a new story will be published this week.
For this week’s ShareGUIDE, we interviewed a Greenville Sleep Doctor, Dr. Navina Mehta on how we can all get a good night’s sleep during this pandemic.
Dr. Mehta was gracious enough to share her Greenville story with us last year. You can view her ShareGVL story here: ‘ShareGVL with Dr. Navina Mehta’ and see our most recent interview on below:
ShareGVL: What are your thoughts on the use of melatonin or other supplements for better sleep at night?
Dr. Mehta: There are ways that our bodies can produce melatonin without having to buy over-the-counter supplements. If we can do things naturally then we can get to the root cause of the problem. Right now, a lot of sleep disturbances are due to what is going on in the world.
If you look at melatonin, if you look at it in a biochemical way then you know you’ll need magnesium. If you’re consuming a diet that has a lot of magnesium, such as: fish, nuts or simply a mediterranean diet, then that is helpful to produce the melatonin naturally. It will equate to better and more natural sleep.
ShareGVL: COVID-19 news is everywhere we go, day-in and day-out. How much should we consume ourselves with this type of news, or news in general?
Dr. Mehta: My husband and I are both physicians and we have young kids. Initially, when this started, we were constantly watching the news and for me specifically, I was always on Facebook. Personally, these habits caused a lot of sleep disturbances, panic and wondering what would happen to our children if we were to get sick.
Now, we watch the news only in the evening, we watch our local evening news and that is it. I also try to minimize social media. You can free up a lot of time by putting down the phone and being outside with your kids, or even yourself more. Get fresh air.
This period is challenging for a lot of people but we were able to spend about fourteen hours this weekend doing yard work and planting beautiful trees. If it wasn’t for this [quarantine], I am not sure I would have given myself the opportunity; positives can come out of this.
ShareGVL: Is it true that having a colder bedroom can help your overall sleep?
Dr. Mehta: Totally, yes! We actually get our best nights sleep around 4:00am in the morning. This is because, typically, our core body temperature is at its lowest.
My recommendation is to start your thermostat at around 68 degrees before bedtime and then, if needed, go down. You get better sleep when your environment is cold.
ShareGVL: Are there any apps that you recommend? For example, I have Calm, a storytelling app and I know folks have used, ‘Headspace,’ a meditation app.
Dr. Mehta: I dabbled into Headspace for about two years. And Headspace has actually been generous enough to provide their services free for healthcare professionals until the end of the year due to COVID-19.
That said, my family and I have been using Headspace every night. It is important to have self-awareness. Anything that you can personally do to relax, whether it is meditation, relaxing your muscles, having a mindset of relaxation; a bedtime mindset. Essentially, you are wanting to let your body know that this is bedtime and to prepare for a good night’s rest.
ShareGVL: Growing up, my mother would put Vicks Vapor Rub on my feet when I was sick. Is there any correlation that this will help you get better?
Dr. Mehta: It is funny that you ask that. Though there is no proven science on it, I also put Vicks on my children’s feet, they are five and almost three years old.
We go further, we also put Vicks on their chest and have a humidifier going on throughout the house during the entire winter.
A humidifier will keep the air moist and this is important because, especially in places like South Carolina, when you have the heat on, you get dried out. Allergies start producing – you name it. I always tell my patients to have a humidifier on-hand.
ShareGVL: What time do we need to turn our screens off before bed?
Dr. Mehta: One hour before bed.
ShareGVL: I’ve heard, even from back before internet times, that warm milk can help with a good night’s sleep? Is this a myth or a fact?
Dr. Mehta: It is a myth. In our household, we try to get into bed around 9:00pm; I also try to encourage everyone to have their last big intakes of water, drinks, around 6:00pm – thus three hours prior to going to bed.
Warm milk can be soothing while you’re drinking it but that is truly about it.
ShareGVL: Where are you located, what are your hours and are you open during this COVID-19 pandemic?
Dr. Mehta: I just built a brand new sleep clinic: we are right off of Batesville Road, near the Parkway. Our opening date will be tomorrow, April 1st, and will be all virtual based from the hours of 9am – 3pm.
Given our current situation, I am making myself available after 3:00pm. Even if it is 24/7, it does not matter. I want patients to get good sleep and that can be hard during this time but we are here.
Dr. Mehta’s clinic can be found online at, ‘Greenville Sleep Clinic.’ You can also follow her on Instagram for additional tips and tricks on sleep: @greenvillesleepdoc
More Greenville resources:
Kill COVID, Not Small Biz
Greenville City’s Community Resource Guide
ShareGVL: a Modern Greenville News and Stories website. This article featured content on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) with resources for folks in Greenville, South Carolina.