Researchers at Phenikaa University in Vietnam investigated whether post-COVID-19 experiences could disrupt sleep quality, finding signs of increased insomnia and poorer sleep among adults in the aftermath of infection. The study appears in Frontiers in Public Health.
The research included 1,056 adults who had previously tested positive for COVID-19. At the outset, participants reported no prior insomnia or diagnosed mental health conditions. Information was gathered through surveys, capturing socio-demographic details such as age and gender, alongside data on the severity and duration of their COVID-19 illness and the presence of chronic diseases.
To measure how nighttime sleep might be affected by the illness, participants were asked to compare their sleep in the two weeks before infection with their sleep in the two weeks after.
The results showed that 76.1 percent of respondents experienced insomnia following COVID-19. Of those reporting poor sleep quality, roughly 23 percent indicated that their sleep problems seriously affected daily life. About half of the participants reported waking more often during the night, another third said they had trouble falling asleep, and many experienced shorter overall sleep durations.
Importantly, the study found no clear link between how severe a person’s COVID-19 illness was and how severe their insomnia became. Researchers note that sleep disturbances can aggravate both mental and physical health and may be associated with weight changes. The authors call for further research to understand the mechanisms behind these sleep disruptions and their long-term consequences.
In related sleep research, one scientist has examined the effectiveness of colorful noise as a sleep aid, exploring whether ambient sound variations might support besseren sleep continuity and comfort.