Worry about COVID‐19 as a predictor of future insomnia

• Published in: Journal of sleep research Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. e13564 - n/a
• Main Authors: Brown, Lily A., Hamlett, Gabriella E., Zhu, Yiqin, Wiley, Joshua F., Moore, Tyler M., DiDomenico, Grace E., Visoki, Elina, Greenberg, David M., Gur, Ruben C., Gur, Raquel E., Barzilay, Ran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley and Sons Inc 01.10.2022
• Subjects: anxiety; Anxiety - etiology; COVID-19; health‐anxiety; Humans; Pandemics; psychology; SARS-CoV-2; sleep; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - epidemiology; sleep; anxiety; psychology; health-anxiety
• ISSN: 0962-1105; 1365-2869
• DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13564

Summary The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic resulted in significant increases in insomnia, with up to 60% of people reporting increased insomnia. However, it is unclear whether exposure to risk factors for the virus or worries about COVID‐19 are more strongly associated with insomnia. Using a three‐part survey over the course of the first 6 months of the pandemic, we evaluated associations between COVID‐19 exposures, COVID‐19 worries, and insomnia. We hypothesised that COVID‐19‐related worries and exposure to risk of COVID‐19 would predict increases in insomnia. Participants (N = 3,560) completed a survey at three time‐points indicating their exposures to COVID‐19 risk factors, COVID‐19‐related worries, and insomnia. COVID‐19 worry variables were consistently associated with greater insomnia severity, whereas COVID‐19 exposure variables were not. COVID‐19 worries decreased significantly over time, and there were significant interactions between change in COVID‐19 worries and change in insomnia severity over time. Individuals who experienced increases in COVID‐19 worries also experienced increases in insomnia severity. Changes in worry during the COVID‐19 pandemic were associated with changes in insomnia; worries about COVID‐19 were a more consistent predictor of insomnia than COVID‐19 exposures. Evidence‐based treatments targeting virus‐related worries may improve insomnia during this and future calamities.