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Sleep patterns, quality of sleep and sleep disorders following SARS-CoV-2 infection, a long-term perspective– pilot study

Principal Investigator: Dr Małgorzata Hołda

Financing Agency: National Science Centre Programme

Funding Scheme: 48 323 PLN


The aim of the project is to study sleep patterns in people who have contracted the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Few studies in this area so far suggest that sleep disorders and various types of related problems appear, both, in patients during infection (Deng et al., 2021; Liguori et al., 2020; Pérez-Carbonell et al., 2020) and are listed among its complications (Huang et al., 2021).
The first meta-analyses of the occurrence of sleep problems during the Covid-19 pandemic showed that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are the most severely affected by difficulties in this area, with sleep problems are the mostly common in this group (Jahrami et al., 2021). It was also found that at 6 months after infection, patients had been hospitalised for Covid-19 suffered primarily from fatigue and weakness, anxiety and depression, and sleep problems (Huang et al., 2021). Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have neuropathogenic effects, and numerous neurological complications have been identified in patients suffering from Covid-19 (Zubair et al., 2020). It is therefore possible that the infection also involves CNS structures responsible for regulating the sleep-wake rhythm, consequently causing sleep problems (Pérez-Carbonell et al., 2020).
However, the effects of Covid-19, especially its long-term effects, are still poorly understood. There is a lack of detailed data on both the prevalence and the specificity of sleep problems after infection with SARS-CoV-2, especially in groups of people who were not hospitalised or who underwent the infection asymptomatically. The planned pilot study will attempt to determine patterns and quality of sleep, and sleep problems in people who have contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as possible difficulties in daily functioning due to sleep problems.
Fifty people will be studied. The respondents will be recruited using a screening questionnaire posted on the Internet. In individuals enrolled onto the study (the inclusion criterion will be a past SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed by a PCR or antigen test, based on the participant’s declaration), three measurements of sleep and wake patterns will be performed - at 1, 3 and 6 months after infection; at each time point, the measurement will be carried out for 2 weeks. The test will be performed with the use of actigraphs, which allow for a non-invasive and comfortable measurement of the sleep-wake rhythm for longer periods and in natural conditions, providing a satisfactory reliability of such measurement; actigraphs also perform well in screening for sleep disorders (Baron et al., 2018; Peake, Kerr, & Sullivan, 2018). Multiple measurements will enable the evaluation not only of the sleep patterns themselves, but also of how the patterns change over time. Sleep problems (such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, disturbances in the sleep-wake rhythm or poor sleep quality) will be assessed both on the basis of actigraphic measurements and questionnaires. In addition, with the help of questionnaires and tests, factors that may influence both sleep patterns or related problems (e.g., professional and physical activity, stress, depression, pain, medications and stimulants used, as well as the chronotype and personality traits) and the functional consequences of possible sleep problems in various areas (e.g., cognition, mood, social relationships, activity level, vigilance and overall productivity).