Post-Acute Sleep Disturbances Following COVID-19 and Associated Factors: A Single-Center Study

Backgrounds: The long-term effects of COVID-19 infection on survivors' mental health and its relationship with COVID-19 severity remain undetermined. We aimed to investigate the post-COVID sleep disturbances (poor sleep quality and insomnia) that persist beyond four weeks after acute COVID-19 infection and up to six months after the acute illness and the related factors. Methods: We enrolled 188 participants 1-6 months after COVID-19 infection in this cross-sectional study. All participants were asked to complete a sociodemographic data form, the Beck Anxiety Scale (Beck-A), the Beck Depression Scale (Beck-D), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results: 43.6% and 41% of participants reported experiencing poor sleep quality and insomnia, respectively. Sociodemographic factors such as marital and employment status, education level, household size, smoking, alcohol consumption, follow-up time, and comorbidities did not significantly impact sleep quality and insomnia rates. However, our study's results showed that higher anxiety and depression scores were associated with worse sleep quality and insomnia. Conclusions: Our study highlights the critical situation of sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression risk in post-COVID-19 patients. Although the first COVID-19 pandemic has ended, analyzing worldwide data about the last pandemic is crucial for preparing for potential scenarios globally.