Unveiling Coronasomnia: Pandemic Stress and Sleep Problems During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

Si Chen, Cecilia Cheng Social and Health Psychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Cecilia Cheng, Social and Health Psychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: The COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge to public well-being, necessitating an examination of its health impact. This review discusses the relationship between pandemic-induced stressors and individual sleep patterns and quality. The pandemic stressors include lockdown or physical distancing measures, direct virus exposure, and the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation. The pandemic led to delayed sleep-wake cycles, except for healthcare professionals, and worsened sleep quality. The prevalence of insomnia was higher for women due to pre-existing conditions and susceptibility stressors such as lockdown stress and family responsibilities. Healthcare professionals, who experienced worsened work conditions during the pandemic, reported higher rates of insomnia and sleep difficulties due to infection anxiety and post-traumatic stress from direct virus exposure. For the general population, stress stemmed from social isolation under lockdown and overwhelming false information available online, resulting in sleep problems. Taken together, the findings highlight the importance of promoting social interactions, providing psychological support services, and caution in navigating health information. In summary, this review underscores the need for individual- and group-centered approaches in ongoing research and interventions to address pandemic-related stress and sleep issues during COVID-19.Keywords: sleep health, sleep disturbance, insomnia, infodemic

Keywords

• sleep health
• sleep disturbance
• insomnia
• infodemic