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Advanced Neurology The rising impact of sleep disorders in the post-pandemic era

Table 3. Analysis of sleep patterns pre‑ and post‑COVID‑19
Pre‑COVID‑19 Post‑COVID‑19 References
Self-reported sleep times generally exhibited consistent Self-reported sleep times shifted later during the COVID-19 Yuan et al. 11
patterns with minimal variation. outbreak, with more significant changes observed early in the
pandemic than later in the year.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals typically After the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals began sleeping Gao and Scullin
12
slept on time, woke up early, and experienced fewer and waking up later, with an increased number of awakenings.
awakenings.
Although 17.1% of the individuals slept less than usual, a Significant alterations in sleep patterns were observed among Batool-Anwar
considerable proportion slept more. Two meta-analyses the US adult population during the COVID‑19 pandemic, et al.
13
also reported high rates of insomnia – 23.8% and 37% with the strongest correlation with symptoms of mental health
– with a more significant impact on healthcare workers impairment. Approximately 53.9% of the cohort reported
compared to the general population (47.3% vs. 18.2%). increased sleep duration, most likely due to increased stress
impacting sleep.
Approximately 51.7% of individuals reported no Recent results indicate that during COVID-19 home Dai et al. 14
difference in sleep quality during the stay-at-home order confinement, sleep profiles changed, with delayed sleep
compared to before the pandemic. phases, prolonged sleep duration, and diminished sleep
quality reported.
- People reported worse overall sleep health during the Alzueta et al.
15
COVID-19 pandemic, with lower ratings across all six
dimensions of sleep health – regularity, satisfaction, alertness,
timing, efficiency, and duration – compared to before the
infection. Poor sleep health was more prevalent among those
with a history of COVID-19, particularly those with severe
symptoms, and was associated with a lower quality of life.
There is no information on the clinical conditions before During the lockdown, Italian mothers and their pre-school Gorgoni et al.
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the lockdown, which could influence the perceptions of children experienced diminished sleep quality, heightened
sleep quality and pre-sleep arousal during the pandemic. emotional symptoms, and self-regulation issues. These
problems also impacted school-age children. Maternal
psychological distress and employment status significantly
affected both maternal and child sleep and mental health,
particularly for parents of children under 9 years of age.
In accordance with this, 39.3% of individuals reported During the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial regional studies Yuksel et al.
17
experiencing more difficulty falling asleep, whereas identified a rise in sleep disturbances and alterations in sleep
35.6% reported waking up more frequently than usual patterns among the general public and frontline healthcare
compared to the pre-pandemic period. Over one-third workers.
of the participants experienced increased trouble falling
asleep or more frequent night awakenings, indicating
substantial sleep disruptions.
No other significant differences in subjective sleep Sleep patterns were affected, with the “delayed sleep” Robillard et al.
18
parameters were noted before the outbreak, except for subgroup reflecting a U.S. survey that reported that Gen
delayed waking up times. Furthermore, approximately Z and millennials experienced the most delayed bedtimes
36.0% of individuals reported experiencing sleep during confinement. This subgroup was more likely to work
difficulties before the outbreak. from home and had fewer dependents, which enabled more
flexibility in adjusting their sleep schedule.
19
This pattern was most pronounced among women with Overall, sleep patterns significantly deteriorated in Petrov et al.
relatively normal sleep patterns before the pandemic, as comparison to those that existed before the pandemic.
they experienced a substantial deterioration in sleep and
increased distress.

A retrospective cohort study by Zhang et al. suggested stressors, lifestyle changes, and health impacts associated
a potential correlation between poor sleep and increased with the pandemic that contribute to disrupted sleep
susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. This correlation patterns and insomnia.
may be potentially linked to the lower absolute lymphocyte
counts and an elevated neutrophil–to–lymphocyte ratio Patients with obstructive sleep apnea often present with
observed in Chinese patients. Figure 3 illustrates various various comorbidities that are strongly linked to severe
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Volume 4 Issue 1 (2025) 17 doi: 10.36922/an.4006