By the end of 2022, more than 650 million covid-19 infections had been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). With the real number probably much higher, and with cases increasing every week, the scientific community is trying to understand the impact on our physical and mental health.
In the early stages of the pandemic, sleep scientists plotted the costs and benefits of confinements in sleep patterns. The main finding was that we slept more during these periods, but the quality of sleep was worse.
Now, a second wave of data is starting to explain how the virus affects sleep and intrudes on dreams, reports the Conversation.
In meta-analysis of 2022 – a review of the scientific literature currently available – it was estimated that 52% of people who contract covid-19 suffer from sleep disturbances during the infection.
The most common type of disorder reported is insomnia. People with insomnia typically have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and wake up early.
Sleep problems sometimes persist even after recovery from the infection. One study in China revealed that 26% of people who were hospitalized with covid-19 had symptoms of insomnia two weeks after discharge.
One study North American showed that infected people were more likely to have difficulty sleeping, a month after testing positive.
While most people recover quickly from COVID-19, some continue to have long-term symptoms. Individuals suffering from prolonged illness seem more likely to experience persistent sleep problems.
One study carried out in 2021 analyzed more than 3,000 people with prolonged covid-19. Nearly 80% of participants reported sleep problems, most often insomnia.
One study The most recent one collected data on both sleep duration and quality using smart wristbands. Overall, participants with prolonged COVID-19 slept less and had less deep sleep than participants who had never had the virus.
Loss of deep sleep is particularly worrying, as it reduces tiredness and enhances concentration and memory. Lack of deep sleep may be partly responsible for the reported “brain fog” during and after the infection.
The fact that covid-19 interferes with sleep is also worrying because sleep helps our immune system fight infections.
The virus could have a direct impact on the brain, including areas that control both waking and sleeping states.
Typical symptoms of covid-19 include fever, cough and breathing difficulties. These symptoms are also well known for disturbing sleep.
Poor mental health can lead to sleep problems and vice versa. Exists a strong link between covid-19 and mental health issuesparticularly the depression and anxiety. This can be caused by concerns about recovery, loneliness or social isolation.
In the case of patients hospitalized with covid-19, they may face additional difficulties when trying to sleep in busy hospital environments, where sleep is often disturbed by noise, treatment and other patients.
O Study International Sleep Covid-19 is a global research project involving sleep scientists from 14 countries.
During the study, infected and non-infected participants were analyzed. Both groups had more dreams after the start of the pandemic than before. Infected participants had more nightmares than uninfected participants, while there was no difference between groups before the pandemic.
Poor mental health is often accompanied by Nightmares. The team found that the infected group had more symptoms of anxiety and depression.
