Sleep During "Lockdown" in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated unprecedented global lockdown measures.
• Understanding the impact of these public health interventions on population sleep patterns is crucial.
• Previous research on sleep during pandemics has yielded varied results, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures on sleep duration and quality.
• To compare sleep changes between the general population and healthcare professionals across multiple countries.
• To identify demographic and occupational factors influencing sleep alterations during lockdown.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was administered to 2093 participants across Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, and Brazil.
• The survey included a 13-question questionnaire translated into Greek, German, French, and Portuguese.
• Data collected covered demographics, occupation, sleep characteristics, lockdown adherence, and COVID-19 exposure.

Main Results:

• Total sleep time increased by an average of 0.25 hours during the lockdown week compared to normal conditions (p < 0.001).
• Sleep duration remained stable for health professionals but increased by 0.31 hours for other occupations (p < 0.001).
• 31.3% of participants reported worse sleep quality during lockdown; only 38% of health professionals rated their sleep as good.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 lockdown measures significantly impacted sleep duration and quality across diverse populations.
• Occupational status played a key role, with non-health professionals experiencing increased sleep duration.
• Sleep quality was generally perceived as worse during lockdown, particularly among healthcare workers.