A recent study published in the Journal of Sleep Research reports that disrupted sleep and anxiety remain ongoing issues for many people following the COVID-19 pandemic, whether due to direct infection or stress related to the global crisis. The findings, announced on July 23 by researchers from King's College London and Flinders University in Australia, indicate that these factors may contribute to the fatigue commonly reported by individuals with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS), also known as 'long COVID.'
The research team utilized data from the UK COVID Symptom Study Biobank collected during the early years of the pandemic. They conducted one of the first large-scale longitudinal studies assessing residual or continuing sleep and mental health problems among people with PCS. Participants were reassessed after lockdowns were lifted in 2022 using questionnaire responses from 2,390 individuals regarding their sleep patterns, fatigue levels, depression, and anxiety.
According to Professor Sutapa Mukherjee, co-senior author and Professor in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute's Sleep Health research group, "We knew from pre-pandemic clinical experience that once sleep disturbance is present, it is unlikely to improve without intervention. 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. We recommend routine assessment of sleep for people presenting with persistent post-pandemic fatigue, including those with the persistent symptoms associated with PCS (Long COVID)."
The study found that high levels of poor sleep and fatigue persisted even after lockdown restrictions ended—regardless of whether respondents had contracted COVID-19. Disordered sleep was linked to various health consequences such as reduced immunity, increased inflammation, mood changes, cognitive impairment, and depression.
Barbara Toson, research fellow at Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute Sleep Health research group, said, "Many people assume sleep returns to normal once major life disruptions end. However, our study found that sleep disturbance and fatigue often persisted after lockdown restrictions were lifted. Our findings suggest that sleep disturbance and fatigue can persist long after major pandemic disruptions have ended, reinforcing the need for greater attention to sleep health and post-pandemic recovery." Researchers concluded: "Fatigue is the commonest symptom reported by individuals with PCS. If sleep disturbance is contributing to fatigue in an individual with PCS then using proven effective therapeutic approaches may contribute meaningfully to their symptom recovery." The impact of COVID-19 continues globally; current infections are still leading to serious illness while an estimated 1.9 million people in the UK report long-term symptoms more than four weeks following confirmed or suspected infection.
