UAE Doctors Share Tips For Staying Calm, Sleeping Well During Emergency Alerts

2026-03-09 02:21:17

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Practices such as prayer, evening gatherings and community check-ins can create a sense of stability and reassurance that helps calm the nervous system

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Doctors in the UAE are encouraging residents to adopt simple habits to stay calm and protect their sleep as emergency alerts and night-time disturbances continue.

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Experts say small changes - such as limiting late-night news updates, practising slow breathing techniques and using grounding exercises if woken by alerts - can help the nervous system settle and make it easier to fall back asleep.

Health specialists say these strategies matter because repeated alerts and loud night-time sounds can keep the brain's threat-detection system active, raising stress hormones and reducing the deep sleep the body needs to regulate energy, appetite and blood sugar levels.

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“When the brain is repeatedly exposed to sudden alerts or loud night-time sounds, it interprets them as potential threats,” said Dr Yousef Said, Medical Director at Metabolic (formerly GluCare).

“This activates the body's stress response system, keeping the nervous system in a more vigilant state.”

From a sleep perspective, this heightened vigilance can lead to more awakenings during the night and less time spent in deep, restorative sleep.

Dr Said explained that sleep plays a central role in the body's regulatory systems. When it becomes fragmented, it can disrupt hormones that control appetite, energy levels and glucose metabolism.

“Even short periods of poor sleep can increase stress hormones, alter hunger signals and make people feel more fatigued during the day,” he said.

Why alerts trigger a stress response

Experts say the reaction many residents are experiencing is a natural biological response. When the brain detects a potential threat – such as loud interjections, alarms or unfamiliar night-time sounds – it activates the sympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the“fight-or-flight” response.

This increases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, raising heart rate and alertness while making it harder for the body to transition into sleep.

Under normal conditions, cortisol levels gradually fall in the evening to allow the body to wind down.

But during periods of heightened alert, cortisol can remain elevated at night, keeping the brain in a more watchful state and lowering the threshold for waking.

“This means people wake up more easily to sounds or alerts,” Dr Said said.

Small changes that can help

To counter this, experts recommend creating simple evening routines that help the nervous system shift back into its“rest-and-recover” mode.

One common habit that can worsen sleep disruption is "doom-scrolling" – repeatedly checking social media or news updates late at night.

“Every new update, video or alert acts as another stimulus that tells the brain something important or potentially dangerous is happening,” said Joelle Debs, wellness coach at Metabolic.

Instead, she advises residents to create a clear boundary with updates in the evening by setting a final check-in time for news and social media and allowing the brain a buffer period before sleep.

“Even a short digital wind-down window of 20 to 30 minutes without phones before bed can help signal to the brain that it's safe to relax,” she explained.

Breathing and grounding techniques

If someone wakes up due to an alert or loud noise, calming breathing techniques can help the body exit its stress response more quickly.

Debs recommends the 4-7-8 breathing method, which involves inhaling through the nose for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds and then exhaling slowly for eight seconds.

Repeating the cycle several times can help slow the heart rate and activate the parasympathetic nervous system - the body's natural relaxation response.

Grounding techniques can also help interrupt anxiety or racing thoughts. One commonly recommended exercise is the“5-4-3-2-1” method, which encourages people to focus on their surroundings by identifying five things they can see, four they can touch, three they can hear, two they can smell and one they can taste.

“These techniques bring attention back to the present moment and help the brain move out of threat monitoring,” Debs said.

Experts also advise keeping the environment calm if woken during the night, avoiding bright lights or repeated phone checks and returning to a familiar bedtime routine so the brain receives signals that it is safe to sleep again.

Wider health effects

While occasional sleep disruption during stressful events is normal, experts say repeated disturbances over several nights can affect more than just energy levels.

Sleep is when many of the body's key hormonal systems recalibrate. Reduced deep sleep and elevated stress hormones can temporarily influence appetite signals, insulin sensitivity and overall energy balance.

“We often see changes in hormones that regulate appetite, energy balance and glucose metabolism when sleep becomes fragmented,” Dr Said said. Poor sleep can also make people more prone to cravings for high-energy foods while leaving them feeling more fatigued during the day.

When to seek help

Doctors stress that temporary sleep disruption during periods of uncertainty is expected and usually resolves once conditions stabilise.

However, if sleep problems continue for several weeks or begin affecting concentration, mood or daily functioning, residents may benefit from professional support.

Experts also emphasise that maintaining connection with family and community can help buffer stress during uncertain times.

Practices such as prayer, evening gatherings and community check-ins can create a sense of stability and reassurance that helps calm the nervous system.

“Experiencing heightened alertness or disrupted sleep in uncertain situations is a normal biological response,” Dr Said said.

“The focus should be on helping the nervous system settle so the body can gradually return to balance.”