The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on sleeping status

Aim: Sleep is a physiological condition that is needed by the animal organism and required for the regular function of organ systems and mental health. The recent COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread anxiety worldwide with health-related, economic, and social burdens. The aim of this study is to determine the sleep-related perturbances and the level of anxiety in a Turkish population and compare the outcomes between the genders and working status of the subjects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We performed a phone-based cross-sectional semi-structured questionnaire on 100 adult volunteers in May 2020. Sociodemographic data, the responses for ten questions on sleep performance and their level of anxiety and life satisfaction were noted and reported. Results: Male subjects reported a higher incidence of change in their waking hours, and an increased need for sleep during daytime (P=0.008). The anxiety level was significantly higher among female subjects, and the main causes of the anxiety were different between the two groups (P=0.035, P<0.001, respectively). Female subjects described a higher rate of change in their well-being (P<0.001), and the overall scores for well-being and life satisfaction were significantly lower among the females (P<0.001). The non-working group had an increased incidence of severe anxiety and an increased ratio of change in their lifestyle in comparison to usual (P=0.006, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this report is the first survey analysis on anxiety and sleep performance following the COVID-19 infections in Turkey. We report a high incidence of impaired sleep status, change of lifestyle, satisfaction, and increased anxiety in the population independent from the gender and current working status.