25% of adults say they're experiencing ‘electsomnia': 3 simple ways to get better sleep now and after the election day

Americans are just days away from a closely contested presidential election. Many would say it's been a stressful run-up to November 5, and according to a recent survey from the American Psychological Association, 25% of adults are even losing sleep over it. It's something some sleep experts are calling "electsomnia."

Thankfully, there are simple steps you can take to get better sleep now — and well after election day.

CNBC Make It has interviewed various sleep doctors and experts over the years. Here are their best tips for a good night's rest.

3 tips for getting better sleep this election season — and well after

1. Add these 5 melatonin-rich foods to your daily diet

Melatonin is a popular sleep aid that can "gradually shift the body's circadian rhythm," and prompt your body that it's time to go to sleep, according to Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis.

And Harris encourages you to get melatonin from foods before reaching for supplements, she told Make It in February.

In 2022, Yo-El Ju, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Washington University in St. Louis, shared five foods that are naturally rich in melatonin:

• Nuts, especially walnuts
• Fish, particularly salmon
• Eggs
• Tart cherries
• Cow's milk

2. Determine how many hours of sleep you need: 'It doesn’t have to be that magic 8'

This may come as a surprise, but not everyone needs the same amount of sleep each night to feel rested, Harris said in 2022.

"There's a range, between seven to nine hours, sometimes as little as six," she said.

"It doesn't have to be that magic eight. If someone's a good sleeper at seven hours, forcing yourself to try and get eight, could actually make it worse."

It's important to also remember that you won't feel rested every morning because that's unrealistic, she added. "I'm a sleep doctor, and I don't sleep perfectly every single night."

The more nights of good sleep that you're able to get, the better, but don't become overly concerned with getting the best sleep every night, she said.

3. 'Avoid social jet lag'

Across the board, experts agreed that consistency is extremely important when it comes to getting a good night's rest.

Going to bed and waking up at about the same time you did the day before is the "most important thing" you can do to improve your sleep, according to Dr. Abhinav Singh, sleep physician and medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center.

This can be difficult to maintain on weekends, or days when you don't work, but Singh urges you to try.

"Your body, your brain [and] your organ systems don't know Saturday and Sunday from Monday and Tuesday," he told Make It last March. "So, avoid social jet lag."

But this doesn't mean that you can't get a bit of extra sleep on your days off. Just "don't vary your sleep/wake time by more than an hour, if possible."

Use these tips if the news is contributing to your burnout and disrupted sleep

In addition to improving your sleep, there are other ways that you can prioritize your wellness and combat burnout ahead of the presidential election.

Licensed psychologists Tirrell De Gannes and Elisabeth Morray shared several ways that you can protect your mental health.

Here are three practices they suggest implementing:

• Pick designated times for news consumption. Choose specific times during the day or days of the week to catch up on election news. Don't consume politic news outside of your designated time slot as much as you can.
• Work on changing your algorithms on social media. Interact with content that interests you and increases your happiness to filter in more of it on your timeline.
• Stick to healthy routines daily. Have and maintain practices that keep you feeling your best, from spending time with family to cooking your favorite meals.

Correction: This story has been update to reflect that Election Day is Nov. 5. A previous version misstated the date.

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