COVID-19 increases insomnia.

Most people with COVID-19 recover quickly, but some experience symptoms that subsequently persist for a long time, such as insomnia.

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Doctors already knew that insomnia was common in hospitalized patients, but a new study by scientists from the University of Phenicaa (Vietnam) showed that mild cases of COVID-19 can also affect the quality of sleep, the university press service reports.

Most work has focused on hospitalized patients. Their treatment and quarantine conditions differ significantly from those with milder symptoms, the researchers note.

Using the official Vietnam COVID-19 Survivor Data Network, the researchers recruited 1,056 people over 18 years of age who had been diagnosed with the coronavirus but had not been hospitalized in the past six months and did not report a history of insomnia or mental disorders.

These people were sent a survey to complete between June and September 2022 that:

• asked about sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender and chronic diseases, as well as the duration and severity of COVID-19 infection in patients;
• asked about symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression that patients experienced;
• To examine levels of insomnia, patients were asked to compare how well they slept, how long they slept, and how easy it was for them to fall asleep over the past two weeks compared to how they slept before contracting COVID-19.

As a result:

• 76.1% of study participants reported feeling insomnia, 22.8% of them reported severe insomnia;
• half of the participants said they woke up more often during the night, while a third said they had more difficulty falling asleep, slept less well, and slept less;
• The severity of the initial infection did not seem to correlate with the severity of insomnia experienced by the subjects. Although asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 scored lower on the Insomnia Index, the difference was not statistically significant;
• Two groups had statistically significantly higher rates of insomnia—people who already had chronic illnesses, and people with high rates of depressive or anxiety symptoms. However, these diseases are not completely independent of each other – insomnia can worsen mental and physical health, and can also be a consequence of deteriorating mental and physical health.

The researchers noted that the level of insomnia reported by the subjects was not only much higher than in the general population, but also higher than in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

This may be partly because they focused on recently recovered patients who may have lingering symptoms. Patients who have recently recovered may also be more stressed and sensitive to changes in their physical health, leading them to perceive their sleep as worse.

If you’re experiencing insomnia after COVID-19, don’t assume it’s normal, researchers say.

According to scientists, if insomnia is not very bothersome, you can resort to some simple measures, such as:

• taking a warm shower before bed;
• turning off your phone at least an hour before bedtime;
• doing 30 minutes of exercise a day;
• Avoiding caffeine after 4 p.m.

If insomnia is really bothering you, you can try some over-the-counter sleep aids. If they don’t help, consult a specialist, the researchers add.

Source: Racurs

David

I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.