The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Sleep, Daytime Sleepiness, and Depression—Longitudinal Cohort Study

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: COVID-19 disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has presented significant challenges to global health, with acute and chronic implications for various aspects of well-being, including sleep and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life in hospitalised and home-treated patients after three and six months. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted, enrolling hospitalised patients from a single clinical university hospital and home-treated participants through a survey spread through social networks. Individuals who had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the past three months and had a symptomatic course of the disease were included in the study. Participants with previously diagnosed sleep disorders were excluded from the study. Participants were evaluated using internationally validated self-evaluation scales, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Data were collected three and six months after laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, with informed consent obtained from all participants. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact, Pearson Chi tests and Spearman correlation. Results were considered statistically significant with <i>p</i> value < 0.05. <i>Results</i>: In total, 66 participants with a mean age of 44.05 ± 21.61 years were enrolled in the study. Most patients (<i>n</i> = 36) were treated at home and 30 at hospital. Six months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, home-treated patients reported a higher prevalence of poor sleep quality (52.8%, <i>n</i> = 19, <i>p</i> = 0.015, PSQI) and hospitalised patients showed a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (<i>p</i> < 0.001, PHQ-9) as 90% (<i>n</i> = 27) had minimal or no symptoms compared to 30.6% (<i>n</i> = 11) in a home-treated group. <i>Conclusions:</i> These findings mark the importance of the COVID-19 patients' management settings as people treated at home had worse sleep quality and more depressive symptoms six months after infection indicating worse life quality.