“COVID-somnia” and the impact of long COVID on sleep
When Priya Mathew recovered from a mild case COVID 19 In November, he thought he was out of the woods. Then came the long COVID.
“At one point I counted 23 signs,” Matthew told CBS News. “The most dangerous were shortness of breath, labored breathing, palpitations.”
One of the most disabling symptoms? Insomnia.
“Nothing worked. I would lie awake all night in agony,” she said. “It felt like electric shocks were going through my body from my head to my toes.”
Matthew is not alone. Dr. Emmanuel Duran, a psychiatrist and neurologist, is seeing this in sleep patients at Mount Sinai Hospital.
For those with Prolonged COVIDInsomnia is often associated with pain and is resistant to treatment, he says.
“The pain, which can also occur at night, and a lot of autonomic imbalance, autonomic dysfunction, which is our body’s ability to control heart rate and blood pressure – that palpitations, episodes of night sweats. can lead to,” explained during .
Even for those who haven’t had Covid for a long time, the pandemic has robbed them of a restful night’s sleep.
According to a 2022 survey, nearly one-third of Americans said they have experienced sleep disturbances since the onset of COVID. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. This is 56% less than a year ago. This phenomenon has been described as “COVID-somnia”.
Because of her battle with sleep deprivation, Matthew said she was unable to work for at least a month.
“Any small task takes a lot of energy. Just by taking a shower, I had to rest for three hours afterwards,” she explained.
Matthews Wrote about his experience for the online news outlet Axios, where she works. Like many people battling long-term COVID, she says her initial infection looked like this. A “mild” case.
“Very quickly I realized: if I’m going to get better, I need to completely change my life,” he wrote. “…When my body needs rest, I rest.”
In the past four months, she estimates her symptoms have improved 60-70 percent.
Doctors say that it is very important to stay positive. Sleep hygiene Habits, including a regular bedtime and no screens late at night. If you have trouble sleeping, doctors say it’s a good idea to consult a sleep specialist, as insomnia can indicate other health problems, such as sleep apnea.