ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The stressful conditions that emerged during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have had a negative impact on sleep quality in large part of the healthcare worker population. This study aimed to assess the self-reported quality of sleep among members of the Emergency Ambulance Service personnel of the National Emergency Center in the region of Thrace, Northeastern Greece, and to investigate its associations with perceived stress, feelings, and perceptions of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study was conducted from March to May 2021 using an online structured questionnaire, and the collected data included: socio-demographic characteristics, occupational and medical history, distress and mental health issues due to COVID-19 and the following self-administrated instruments: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and Perceived Stress Scale-14 items (PSS-14). RESULTS: Among the 74 participants, 71 % were poor sleepers (i.e., PSQI >5). The majority (83 % of the sample) reported feelings of stigma due to their occupation, with the proportion being higher among women (100 % vs 78 % in men, p =0.05) and poor sleepers (95 % vs 65 % in good sleepers, p =0.03). Poor sleepers had significantly lower WHO-5 scores than good sleepers (13.8 ± 4.9 vs 16.9 ± 5.8, p =0.04) and were experiencing significantly more anxiety and/or sadness at the time they answered the questionnaire (69.1 % vs 35.3 %, p =0.02). Perceived stress was significantly positively correlated with the "Latency" dimension of the PSQI (p =0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality and feelings of stigmatization were prevalent for most of the sample. Poor sleep quality was associated more frequently with reported feelings of stigmatization, anxiety and/or sadness, and impaired well-being. HIPPOKRATIA 2021, 25 (3):126-133.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The first wave of coronavirus pandemic and concomitant restrictive measures affected sleep. We slept more than usual, but the quality was worse. As the pandemic continues, a second period of restrictive measures was initiated, and no data exist about their impact on sleep. The aim of this study was to compare quantity and quality of sleep between the two periods of restrictive measures, due to the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Greece. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based survey using a short 13-item questionnaire was created and was distributed online. This included information about demographic and professional data, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sleep, degree of abidance in lockdown measures, and data about COVID-19 infection or close contact with active confirmed cases. RESULTS: A total of 1,078 questionnaires were evaluated (first period, n=963; second period, n=115). Sleep duration was shorter during the second lockdown (mean difference -0.51h; 95% confidence interval, (CI), -0.82, -0.19, p=0.002). Compared to usual habits, sleep increased in first wave (mean difference +0.37h; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.47; p<0.001) and decreased in second wave (mean difference -0.35h; 95% CI, -0.60, -0.09; p=0.009). Regarding quality of sleep, less participants reported good quality of sleep during the second wave compared to the first (p=0.006). Finally, compliance to restriction measures was lower and the prevalence of confirmed illness or close contact with COVID-19 cases among participants was higher during the second period than during the first one (p<0.001 and p=0.028, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that sleep duration increased during the first lockdown and decreased in the second one, when compared to usual habits. Moreover, sleep quality progressively deteriorated, as the restrictive measures due to coronavirus pandemic continued.