Sleep and Awakening Quality during COVID-19 Confinement: Complexity and Relevance for Health and Behavior

Area of Science:

• Sleep Science
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to global health and well-being.
• Understanding the impact on sleep and awakening quality (SQ and AQ) is crucial for public health interventions.
• Previous research has explored sleep disturbances but lacked comprehensive analysis across diverse populations during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate sleep and awakening quality (SQ and AQ) in a large, diverse population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify demographic, health, behavioral, mental health, and attitudinal factors associated with poor SQ and AQ.
• To provide insights for improving stress compliance through optimized sleep and lifestyle behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Online surveys collected data from 5479 individuals, including the general population, sleep disorder patients, and healthcare/education professionals.
• Assessed SQ and AQ alongside demographic information, health status, mental health indicators, and lifestyle behaviors.
• Utilized logistic regression to identify significant predictors of poor SQ and AQ.

Main Results:

• Poor SQ and AQ were prevalent in adults, females, and highly educated individuals.
• Negative mental health states (depression, anxiety, irritability), economic hardship, and high Calamity Experience Check List (CECL) scores were linked to diminished SQ and AQ.
• Factors associated with poor AQ included shorter sleep duration, increased sleep latency, poor nutrition, low physical activity, and high technology use.

Conclusions:

• Gender, comorbidities, CECL scores, and awakening patterns significantly predicted SQ.
• Age and physical activity were additional key predictors for AQ.
• Recommendations emphasize good sleep hygiene, mood regulation, positive behaviors, exercise, nutrition, and mindful technology use for enhanced stress compliance.