Fez – COVID-19 infected people are unaware of the symptoms that may persist for days or weeks after their recovery, including sleep disturbances.
A recent study has revealed that sleep disorders are among the physical and psychological consequences frequently found in patients who recovered from COVID.
A group of five researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir conducted a cross-sectional survey based on an online questionnaire for COVID patients who recovered in the southern Moroccan region.
The survey received a total of 1,107 participants, with an average age of 56 years, who responded to a questionnaire.
Patients were classified by the severity of infection: 9% of patients had been hospitalized in a conventional inpatient ward, 3% in an intensive care unit, and 88% were treated at home, and 9% had severe COVID.
Regarding sleep disturbances post-COVID, the study found that 28.4% of patients reported a decrease in total sleep time after their recovery. Meanwhile, insomnia was prevalent among 36% of the responders, with researchers concluding that this was due to COVID-related anxiety and stress.
Read also: Minister: Morocco’s Health System is Prepared to Face Omicron
Night-waking was noted in 56.7% of respondents and nightmares in 67.8%, while 63.4% of the participants judged their sleep quality to be poor post-COVID. Another 13.5% of participants had taken sleeping medication. The survey also found that 21.3% of patients had difficulty concentrating during the day.
With their study concluding that people who have had COVID may experience considerable sleep problems, the researchers suggested that the management of these sleep difficulties is critical in post-COVID consultation.
