Tański Wojciech, Tomasiewicz Anna, Jankowska-Polańska Beata
Department of Internal Medicine, 4th Military Clinical Hospital, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland.
Faculty of Medicine, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-376 Wroclaw, Poland.
J Clin Med. 2024 Feb 1;13(3):839. doi: 10.3390/jcm13030839.
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a global health and social challenge. However, the impact of a SARS-CoV-2 infection itself on mental health and sleep quality remains poorly understood. The purpose of the present uncontrolled prospective observational pilot study was to evaluate the impact of past COVID-19 disease on the incidence of quantitative and qualitative sleep disturbances. A group of 61 subjects (37 female, 24 male) reported sleep disturbances that had lasted for at least one month and had started after recovery from COVID-19. The study used self-reported instruments: the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), as well as an objective method-actigraphy-for quantitative analysis of sleep architecture. It was shown that sleep disturbances most commonly started after recovery (68.3%, n = 41) and lasted for more than one month (83.6%, n = 51). ESS scores of 7.8 ± 5.0 points indicate moderate daytime sleepiness, and ISI scores of 16.3 ± 5.8 points denote moderate insomnia. ESS scores were negatively correlated with total time in bed (r = -0.3780, = 0.003), total sleep time (r = -0.2969, = 0.020), and wakefulness after sleep onset (r = -0.2654, = 0.039). In addition, ESS scores were correlated negatively with the respondents' age (B = -0.17, = 0.000) and time from COVID-19 onset. A positive correlation was found between wakefulness after sleep onset and ESS scores (B = -0.05, = 0.039). ISI scores were positively correlated with time in bed (r = 0.3275, = 0.010). Female gender was found to be a significant predictor of insomnia's severity (B = 2.159, t = 3.04, = 0.004). In conclusion, patients with a history of COVID-19 report long-lasting sleep disturbances that do not subside spontaneously. In the patient group studied, moderate levels of daytime sleepiness and insomnia were found. The most frequently reported problems included irregular sleep, frequent awakenings, and difficulty maintaining sleep, while normal sleep duration was preserved. These findings underscore the need for continued attention to the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on sleep health and emphasize the importance of targeted interventions to address these enduring sleep disturbances in affected individuals.
新冠疫情是一项全球性的健康和社会挑战。然而，严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染本身对心理健康和睡眠质量的影响仍知之甚少。本项非对照前瞻性观察性试点研究的目的是评估既往新冠疾病对定量和定性睡眠障碍发生率的影响。一组61名受试者（37名女性，24名男性）报告了持续至少一个月且在新冠康复后开始出现的睡眠障碍。该研究使用了自我报告工具：爱泼沃斯思睡量表（ESS）和失眠严重程度指数（ISI），以及一种客观方法——活动记录仪——用于睡眠结构的定量分析。结果显示，睡眠障碍最常在康复后开始出现（68.3%，n = 41），且持续超过一个月（83.6%，n = 51）。ESS评分为7.8±5.0分表明白天有中度嗜睡，ISI评分为16.3±5.8分表示有中度失眠。ESS评分与卧床总时长（r = -0.3780，p = 0.003）、总睡眠时间（r = -0.2969，p = 0.020）以及睡眠起始后觉醒时间（r = -0.2654，p = 0.039）呈负相关。此外，ESS评分与受访者年龄（B = -0.17，p = 0.000）以及自新冠发病以来的时间呈负相关。睡眠起始后觉醒时间与ESS评分呈正相关（B = -0.05，p = 0.039）。ISI评分与卧床时间呈正相关（r = 0.3275，p = 0.010）。研究发现女性性别是失眠严重程度的显著预测因素（B = 2.159，t = 3.04，p = 0.004）。总之，有新冠病史的患者报告存在持续的睡眠障碍，且不会自行缓解。在所研究的患者组中，发现存在中度的白天嗜睡和失眠情况。最常报告的问题包括睡眠不规律、频繁觉醒以及难以维持睡眠，而睡眠时间保持正常。这些发现强调需要持续关注新冠对睡眠健康的长期影响，并强调针对受影响个体解决这些持续性睡眠障碍的针对性干预措施的重要性。
