Persistent Sleep Quality Deterioration among Post-COVID-19 Patients: Results from a 6-Month Follow-Up Study

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Limited evidence exists regarding sleep disturbances in post-COVID-19 patients.
• Hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 infection can impact long-term patient health, including sleep patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate sleep quality and related disturbances in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
• To assess the temporal changes in sleep quality up to six months post-discharge.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, in-person follow-up of 133 COVID-19 patients at 1, 3, and 6 months post-hospital discharge.
• Utilized validated questionnaires: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Stop-BANG (S-B).

Main Results:

• A majority of patients reported poor sleep quality (PSQI ≥ 5) and insomnia (AIS ≥ 6) at all follow-up points (T1, T2, T3).
• Severe fatigue (FSS ≥ 4) was prevalent, particularly at T1 (51.2%).
• Elapsed time was independently associated with improvements in sleep quality, insomnia, and fatigue, with younger participants and females reporting higher rates of sleep disturbances and insomnia, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Significant sleep disturbances, including poor sleep quality, insomnia, and fatigue, are common in patients after COVID-19 hospitalization.
• Sleep disturbances demonstrate a remarkable improvement over the six months following hospital discharge.
• Factors such as younger age and female sex were associated with increased sleep disturbances and insomnia symptoms.