Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on sleep quality in university students and administration staff

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 268; no. 1; pp. 8 - 15
• Main Authors: Marelli, Sara, Castelnuovo, Alessandra, Somma, Antonella, Castronovo, Vincenza, Mombelli, Samantha, Bottoni, Daniela, Leitner, Caterina, Fossati, Andrea, Ferini-Strambi, Luigi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - psychology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - psychology; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Female; Humans; Insomnia; Italy - epidemiology; Latency; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Communication; Pandemics; Prevalence; Quarantine - psychology; SARS-CoV-2; Sex differences; Shelter in place; Sleep; Sleep and wakefulness; Sleep disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - etiology; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; University students; Well being; Workers; Young Adult; Italy; COVID-19; Depression; Anxiety; Sleep
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-020-10056-6

Introduction In Italy, lockdown due to COVID-19 health emergency started on March 10 and partially ended on May 3rd, 2020. There was a significant increase of psychological distress and symptoms of mental illness, and worsening of quality of sleep in the general population. Methods Participants completed an anonymous web-based survey that include questionnaires about sleep and anxiety and depression symptoms. Our sample included 400 subjects: 307 students (mean age 22.84 ± 2.68) and 93 university administration staff workers (mean age 37.02 ± 12.46). Results we found an increase in Bed Time hour, Sleep Latency, and Wake-Up time between before and during COVID-19 emergency and a worsening of sleep quality and of insomnia symptoms. In particular, during the lockdown, the impact of the delay in Bed Time and in Wake-Up was more pronounced in students. In workers, we observed a prevalence of maintenance insomnia before COVID-19 of 24% that significantly increase during COVID-19 reaching 40%, while workers with difficulties in sleep initiation were only 15% that increased to 42%. In our sample, 27.8% showed depressive symptoms, while 34.3% showed anxious symptoms, in particular in students. Conclusion The impact of lockdown was greater in students than in workers, and in females than in males. Concerning the psycho-emotional aspects, about one-third of our sample showed depressive or anxious symptoms. The results of our study may provide support for the implementation of some interventions for well-being in pandemic condition.