By the end of 2022, more than 650 million cases of coronavirus have been reported to the World Health Organization, and scientists say the impact of Covid is going beyond its current symptoms, affecting sleep quality and dreams.
The most recent analysis, which is a review of all scientific studies currently available, estimates that 52 percent of people who contract corona suffer from sleep disorders, according to a report from the “”Science Alert“.
Of concern, according to the report, sleep problems sometimes continue even following recovery from infection. A study in China found that 26 percent of people hospitalized with COVID-19 showed symptoms of insomnia two weeks following discharge.
And an American study showed that people who were infected with corona were more likely than people who had never contracted the virus to have difficulty sleeping, according to the report.
While most people recover from COVID quickly, some continue to have symptoms in the long term. It appears that people with prolonged covid are very likely to experience persistent sleep problems.
A 2021 study surveyed more than 3,000 people with long-term COVID-19. Almost 80 percent of the participants reported sleep problems and, most commonly, insomnia.
The loss of deep sleep is of particular concern, as this type of sleep reduces how tired we feel and improves concentration and memory. Lack of deep sleep may be partly responsible for the “brain fog” that is commonly reported during and following Covid.
The International Covid Sleep Study, a global research project involving sleep scientists from 14 countries, recently released its findings on dreaming.
The study surveyed infected and non-infected participants regarding their dreams. Both groups had more dreams following the onset of the pandemic than before.
Interestingly, infected participants experienced more nightmares than uninfected participants, while there was no difference between groups before the pandemic.
There is no simple explanation for why infection with Corona may lead to an increase in nightmares, but mental health may play a role once more. Poor mental health is often accompanied by nightmares.
And the International Sleep Study team found that the covid-infected group showed more symptoms of anxiety and depression.