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. 2022 Mar:91:175-178.
doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.02.018. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: an examination of biopsychosocial moderators

Joseph M Dzierzewski  1 , Natalie D Dautovich  2 , Scott G Ravyts  2 , Elliottnell Perez  2 , Pablo Soto  2 , Emily K Donovan  2
Affiliations

Insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: an examination of biopsychosocial moderators

Joseph M Dzierzewski et al. Sleep Med. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Objective/background: Healthy sleep is vital for physical and psychological health, and poor sleep can result in a myriad of negative physical and psychological outcomes. Insomnia symptoms often manifest as a result of acute life stressors or changes, and COVID-19 experiences may be one such stressor. Other known predisposing factors to insomnia may moderate the impact of COVID-19 experiences on sleep. The present study aimed to determine current levels of insomnia severity in a US sample, to investigate the relation of COVID-19 experiences to insomnia symptoms, and to determine which individuals are most susceptible to this association.

Methods: Data were drawn from a larger online survey investigating sleep and health outcomes across the lifespan. COVID-19 experiences were assessed with the exposure and impact subscales of the CAIR Pandemic Impact Questionnaire (C-PIQ). The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) measured insomnia symptoms. Biological, psychological, and social moderators were measured using other brief self-report measures.

Results: Insomnia symptoms prevalence was as follows: moderate-to-severe symptoms (25.5%), subthreshold symptoms (37.7%), and no symptoms (36.7%). Individuals' COVID-19 experiences significantly predicted insomnia symptom severity [F(1,997) = 472.92, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.32]. This association was moderated by race, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical somatization, and social loneliness, but not age, gender, or education.

Conclusions: Although negative experiences with COVID-19 are associated with worse insomnia symptoms, this relationship is not the same for everyone.

Keywords: COVID-19; Insomnia symptoms; Moderators; Pandemic; Sleep.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Insomnia severity as a function of COVID-19 experience (top panel) and age (panel a), gender (panel b), race (panel c), education (d), anxiety (panel e), depression, (panel f), somatization (panel g), and loneliness (panel h). POC = People of Color.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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