Moderate to severe sleep disturbances and severe fatigue affect up to 40% of patients with long COVID,
The "high" prevalence of moderate to severe sleep disturbances is "alarming," said study investigator Cinthya Pena Orbea, MD, sleep specialist at the Cleveland Clinic
The findings were presented at SLEEP 2022: 36th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
More than two thirds of patients (67.2%) reported at least moderate fatigue, while 21.8% reported severe fatigue, Pena reported.
In addition, 41.3% reported at least moderate sleep disturbances, while 8% of patients reported severe sleep disturbances, including insomnia, "which may impair quality of life," Pena said.
Obesity, and mood disorders were contributors to problems with sleep and fatigue after COVID.
How long after COVID the fatigue and sleep problems last "remains uncertain," Pena acknowledged. However, she added, in her clinical experience with therapy, patients' sleep and fatigue may improve after 6 or 8 months.
Ruth Benca, MD, PhD, co-chair of the Alliance for Sleep, is not surprised by the Cleveland Clinic findings.
"Sleep disturbances and fatigue are part of the sequelae of COVID," said Benca, who was not involved in the study,
"We know that people who have had COVID have more trouble sleeping afterwards.
SLEEP 2022: 36th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies: Abstract 0735. Presented June 6, 2022.
