New research highlights the persistence of sleep issues following the end of COVID-19 lockdowns, regardless of infection history.
Key takeaways:
- A longitudinal study found that disrupted sleep and fatigue remained common even after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted.
- The persistence of these sleep issues occurred independently of whether individuals had contracted SARS-CoV-2 or reported long COVID.
- Researchers recommend routine sleep assessments for patients presenting with persistent post-pandemic fatigue to aid in long-term recovery.
Poor sleep, fatigue, and anxiety remained common after COVID-19 restrictions ended, according to new research led by King’s College London and Flinders University.
Published in the Journal of Sleep Research, the longitudinal study examined whether sleep problems experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic improved after lockdown restrictions were lifted.
The research team analyzed questionnaire responses from 2,390 participants in the UK COVID Symptom Study Biobank. Participants completed surveys in 2021 during lockdown restrictions and again in 2022 after restrictions had ended, reporting on their sleep, fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
The findings showed that, even after accounting for other factors, high levels of poor sleep and fatigue persisted across the community after the pandemic. Researchers found that disrupted sleep and fatigue remained common regardless of whether people had contracted COVID-19 or reported post-COVID-19 syndrome, also known as long COVID.
“The high levels of both poor sleep and fatigue established during lockdowns persisted after restrictions were lifted—independent of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or whether individuals reported having Post-COVID Syndrome,” says Emma Duncan, professor of clinical endocrinology at King’s, co-founder of the COVID Symptom Study Biobank, and co-senior author, in a release.
The data aligns with global results indicating that the experience of the pandemic itself was associated with sleep disturbance worldwide. Sleep disturbance has been linked to a range of health consequences, including reduced immunity, increased inflammation, and poorer mental health, affecting mood, cognition, and depression.
Around 1.9 million people in the UK are estimated to be living with self-reported long COVID symptoms lasting more than four weeks after a confirmed or suspected infection, highlighting the importance of addressing the long-term health impacts of the pandemic.
“We knew from pre-pandemic clinical experience that once sleep disturbance is present, it is unlikely to improve without intervention,” says Sutapa Mukherjee, professor in respiratory and sleep medicine at Flinders University and co-senior author, in a release. “Given the high prevalence of both sleep disturbance and fatigue in some people after the COVID shutdowns, addressing sleep disturbance may be part of a patient’s long-term recovery and wellbeing.”
The researchers recommend routine assessment of sleep for people presenting with persistent post-pandemic fatigue, including those with persistent symptoms associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Effective approaches to improving sleep may help reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
