February 7, 2024 – Even a gentle case of COVID-19 could cause sleep problems, in response to a brand new study.
Sleep problems have already been found to be linked to COVID-19 in patients whose illness was severe enough to require hospitalization. CBS News reported. The aim of this study was to search out out whether individuals with mild cases are similarly affected.
The research from Vietnam was published in Limitations in public health.
The project involved 1,056 non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. They were screened for insomnia, depression and anxiety.
Researchers found that 76.1% of them suffered from insomnia – and 22.8% suffered from severe insomnia.
A 3rd of participants reported poorer sleep quality, shorter sleep duration and difficulty falling asleep. Half said they woke up more often at night after their infection.
The study found that those that suffered from depression or anxiety were more more likely to suffer from insomnia.
“Other risk factors for insomnia included pre-existing chronic illnesses and higher education levels, while symptoms and duration of COVID-19 were not significantly associated,” the researchers wrote.
“Our study highlights the significant burden of insomnia in non-hospitalized COVID-19 survivors and the significant association of depression and anxiety with the development of this long-term effect of COVID-19,” they continued.