Sleep medicine
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The COVID-19 pandemic imposes a long period of stress on people worldwide and has been shown to significantly affect sleep duration across different populations. However, decreases in sleep quality rather than duration are associated with adverse mental health effects. Additionally, the one third of the general population suffering from poor sleep quality was underrepresented in previous studies. The current study aimed to elucidate effects of the COVID -19 pandemic on sleep quality across different levels of pre-pandemic sleep complaints and as a function of affect and worry. ⋯ Our data suggests that there is no uniform effect of the lockdown on sleep quality. COVID-19 lockdown measures more often worsened sleep complaints in pre-pandemic good sleepers, whereas a subset of people with pre-pandemic severe insomnia symptoms underwent a clinically meaningful alleviation of symptoms in our sample.
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Lung to finger circulation time (LFCT) measured from sleep studies may represent a novel physiologic marker for cardiovascular risk in patients with sleep disordered breathing (SDB). We hypothesized that sleep study-derived LFCT would improve risk classification of markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease. ⋯ In conclusion, LFCT may be a useful addition to conventional SDB metrics to improve cardiovascular risk assessment.
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The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global health emergency. The extreme actions aimed to reduce virus diffusion have profoundly changed the lifestyles of the Italian population. Moreover, fear of contracting the infection has generated high levels of anxiety. This study aimed to understand the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep quality, general anxiety symptomatology, and psychological distress. ⋯ Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a risk factor for sleep disorders and psychological diseases in the Italian population, as previously reported in China. These results should be used as a starting point for further studies aimed to develop psychological interventions to minimize the brief and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The development of sleep disorders, and specifically insomnia, has been linked to the exposure to different stressors. In this line, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has caused a huge impact on our environment, and has exposed healthcare workers to an unprecedented threat. In this study, we try to assess sleep quality and the development of sleep disorders in health personnel directly dedicated to the care of COVID-19 patients at the height of the pandemic, compared to the general population. ⋯ We observed that, during the outbreak of COVID-19, healthcare workers on the front line developed more sleep disturbances than non-healthcare professionals, and they had worse quality of sleep. Special attention should be paid to shift workers. Concrete protection and prevention measures for particularly exposed population should be considered in pandemic situations.
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Sleep status can affect the body's immune status and mental health. This study aims to investigate the sleep status of Chinese residents during the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to evaluate its related risk factors. ⋯ During the outbreak of COVID-19, nearly one-fifth of participants had sleep disorders. It is necessary to pay more attention to people at high risk for sleep disturbances during the outbreak, adopt effective risk communication methods, enhance residents' rational understanding of COVID-19, and develop practical indoor exercise programs for general public to improve sleep quality.