Working-from-home persistently influences sleep and physical activity 2 years after the Covid-19 pandemic onset: a longitudinal sleep tracker and electronic diary-based study.

Objective: Working from home (WFH) has become common place since the Covid-19 pandemic. Early studies observed population-level shifts in sleep patterns (later and longer sleep) and physical activity (reduced PA), during home confinement. Other studies found these changes to depend on the proportion of days that individuals WFH (vs. work from office; WFO). Here, we examined the effects of WFH on sleep and activity patterns in the transition to normality during the later stages of the Covid-19 pandemic (Aug 2021-Jan 2022). Methods: Two-hundred and twenty-five working adults enrolled in a public health study were followed for 22 weeks. Sleep and activity data were collected with a consumer fitness tracker (Fitbit Versa 2). Over three 2-week periods (Phase 1/week 1-2: August 16-29, 2021; Phase 2/week 11-12: October 25-November 7, 2021; Phase 3/week 21-22: January 3-16, 2022), participants provided daily Fitbit sleep and activity records. Additionally, they completed daily phone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA), providing ratings of sleep quality, wellbeing (mood, stress, motivation), and information on daily work arrangements (WFH, WFO, no work). Work arrangement data were used to examine the effects of WFH vs. WFO on sleep, activity, and wellbeing. Results: The proportion of WFH vs. WFO days fluctuated over the three measurement periods, mirroring evolving Covid restrictions. Across all three measurement periods WFH days were robustly associated with later bedtimes (+14.7 min), later wake times (+42.3 min), and longer Total Sleep Time (+20.2 min), compared to WFO days. Sleep efficiency was not affected. WFH was further associated with lower daily step count than WFO (-2,471 steps/day). WFH was associated with higher wellbeing ratings compared to WFO for those participants who had no children. However, for participants with children, these differences were not present. Conclusion: Pandemic-initiated changes in sleep and physical activity were sustained during the later stage of the pandemic. These changes could have longer term effects, and conscious effort is encouraged to harness the benefits (i.e., longer sleep), and mitigate the pitfalls (i.e., less physical activity). These findings are relevant for public health as hybrid WHF is likely to persist in a post-pandemic world.

Reopening after lockdown: the influence of working-from-home and digital device use on sleep, physical activity, and wellbeing following COVID-19 lockdown and reopening.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 lockdowns drastically affected sleep, physical activity, and wellbeing. We studied how these behaviors evolved during reopening the possible contributions of continued working from home and smartphone usage. METHODS: Participants (N = 198) were studied through the lockdown and subsequent reopening period, using a wearable sleep/activity tracker, smartphone-delivered ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and passive smartphone usage tracking. Work/study location was obtained through daily EMA ascertainment. RESULTS: Upon reopening, earlier, shorter sleep and increased physical activity were observed, alongside increased self-rated stress and poorer evening mood ratings. These reopening changes were affected by post-lockdown work arrangements and patterns of smartphone usage. Individuals who returned to work or school in-person tended toward larger shifts to earlier sleep and wake timings. Returning to in-person work/school also correlated with more physical activity. Contrary to expectation, there was no decrease in objectively measured smartphone usage after reopening. A cluster analysis showed that persons with relatively heavier smartphone use prior to bedtime had later sleep timings and lower physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: These observations indicate that the reopening after lockdown was accompanied by earlier sleep timing, increased physical activity, and altered mental wellbeing. Moreover, these changes were affected by work/study arrangements and smartphone usage patterns.

A longitudinal analysis of COVID-19 lockdown stringency on sleep and resting heart rate measures across 20 countries.

Lockdowns imposed to stem the spread of COVID-19 massively disrupted the daily routines of many worldwide, but studies to date have been mostly confined to observations within a limited number of countries, based on subjective reports and surveys from specific time periods during the pandemic. We investigated associations between lockdown stringency and objective sleep and resting-heart rate measures in ~ 113,000 users of a consumer sleep tracker across 20 countries from Jan to Jul 2020, compared to an equivalent period in 2019. With stricter lockdown measures, midsleep times were universally delayed, particularly on weekdays, while midsleep variability and resting heart rate declined. These shifts (midsleep: + 0.09 to + 0.58 h; midsleep variability: - 0.12 to - 0.26 h; resting heart rate: - 0.35 to - 2.08 bpm) correlated with the severity of lockdown across different countries (all Ps < 0.001) and highlight the graded influence of stringency lockdowns on human physiology.

COVID-19-related mobility reduction: heterogenous effects on sleep and physical activity rhythms.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Mobility restrictions imposed to suppress transmission of COVID-19 can alter physical activity (PA) and sleep patterns that are important for health and well-being. Characterization of response heterogeneity and their underlying associations may assist in stratifying the health impact of the pandemic. METHODS: We obtained wearable data covering baseline, incremental mobility restriction, and lockdown periods from 1,824 city-dwelling, working adults aged 21-40 years, incorporating 206,381 nights of sleep and 334,038 days of PA. Distinct rest-activity rhythm (RAR) profiles were identified using k-means clustering, indicating participants' temporal distribution of step counts over the day. Hierarchical clustering of the proportion of days spent in each of these RAR profiles revealed four groups who expressed different mixtures of RAR profiles before and during the lockdown. RESULTS: Time in bed increased by 20 min during the lockdown without loss of sleep efficiency, while social jetlag measures decreased by 15 min. Resting heart rate declined by ~2 bpm. PA dropped an average of 42%. Four groups with different compositions of RAR profiles were found. Three were better able to maintain PA and weekday/weekend differentiation during lockdown. The least active group comprising ~51% of the sample, were younger and predominantly singles. Habitually less active already, this group showed the greatest reduction in PA during lockdown with little weekday/weekend differences. CONCLUSION: In the early aftermath of COVID-19 mobility restriction, PA appears to be more severely affected than sleep. RAR evaluation uncovered heterogeneity of responses to lockdown that could associate with different outcomes should the resolution of COVID-19 be protracted.