Sleep Disorders in Health Care Professionals during COVID-19

Abstract

Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease arisen in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, and expanded rapidly universal. This pandemic has placed extra-ordinary demands upon health care systems worldwide, and has led to various physical and psychological consequences. The medical employees, as the front line of the stand against COVID-19, are more sensitive to destructive consequences of this disease than others. Extending physical and psychological stress in-creases sleep disturbances among Health Care Workers (HCWs), notably nurses and physicians, confronting patients with COVID-19. This letter highlights the importance of an overlooked is-sue, sleep health among HCWs during pandemic of COVID-19 and associated characteristics. Studies on mental health of HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic has shown high rates of depression, anxiety, stress, fear, insomnia, grief, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms . Similar mental health problems were reported during previous infectious disease outbreaks. These adverse mental health consequences may increase the risk of burnout among HCWs which has negative impacts on individual wellbeing, sleep, caring for patients, and health care system.