Is COVID-Somnia Fact or Fiction?

Abstract

Over 2 years have passed since the COVID-19 outbreak, and perceptions of coronavirus and lifestyles have changed. The purpose of this study was to review how sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, commonly known as ‘COVID-somnia,’ are interpreted. In a systematic review of cross-sectional studies, the prevalence rate of COVID-somnia has been reported to be 35.7% for people with insomniac symptoms. However, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms did not significantly increase in longitudinal studies. It has also been reported that 50% of individuals with COVID-somnia improved after 5 months. Thus, COVID-insomnia is probably a mixed concept, consisting of conventional chronic insomnia and temporary insomnia. It is possible that most cases are illusory and only a few people actually are going to suffer from an insomnia disorder. For the chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy is effective. Temporary insomnia is likely to decrease with accurate knowledge of the coronavirus and effective infection control strategies. In the future, it is necessary not only to examine the prevalence of insomniacs during COVID-19, but also to examine the proportion of insomniacs with high anxiety about infection and its impact on daily functioning.