Does Sars-Cov-2 threaten our dreams? Effect of Quarantine on Sleep Quality and Body Mass Index

Abstract

Background: COVID 19- related quarantine led to a sudden and radical lifestyle changes, in particular in eating habits. Objectives of the study were to investigate the effect of quarantine on sleep quality (SQ) and body mass index (BMI), and if change in SQ was related to working modalities.Materials: We enrolled 121 adults (age 44.9±13.3 years and 35.5% males). Anthropometric parameters, working modalities and physical activity were studied. Sleep quality was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. At baseline, the enrolled subjects were assessed in outpatient clinic and after 40 days of quarantine/lockdown by phone interview. Results: Overall, 49.6% of the subjects were good sleepers (PSQI < 5) at the baseline and significantly decreased after quarantine (p<0.001). In detail, sleep onset latency (p<0.001), sleep efficiency (p=0.03), sleep disturbances (p<0.001), and daytime dysfunction (p<0.001) significantly worsened. There was also a significant increase in BMI values in normal weight (p=0.023), in subjects grade I (p=0.027) and II obesity (p=0.020). In all cohort, physical activity was significantly decreased (p=0.004). However, analyzing the data according gender difference, males significantly decreased physical activity as well as females in which there was only a trend without reaching statistical significance (53.5% vs 25.6%; p=0.015 and 50.0% vs 35.9%, p=0.106; in males and females, respectively). In addition, smart working activity resulted in a significant worsening of SQ, particularly in males (p<0.001). Conclusions: Quarantine was associated to a worsening of SQ, particularly in males doing smart working, and to an increase in BMI values.

A Longitudinal Study on the Emotional Impact Cause by the COVID-19 Pandemic Quarantine on General Population

“…In fact, some studies have already reported that there are changes in daily habits as a consequence of isolation measures. For example, some studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be a risk factor for sleep disorders ( Barrea et al, 2020 ; Casagrande et al, 2020 ). Other studies have also reported changes in diet and weight gain during quarantine ( Di Renzo et al, 2020 ).…”

Physical activity, diet and quality of life during mandatory (COVID-19) quarantine following repatriation

“…Improved quality of life measures may in part be related to the structured physical activity and exercise; however, several other undocumented factors could have influenced the outcome. 8 …”

“… 13 Another study among adults in quarantine showed a significant decrease in physical activity and increase in BMI during quarantine. 8 …”

“…A study from Italy reported decreased physical activity and significant increases in BMI among normal weight, as well as overweight and obese adults during quarantine. 8 …”

Pre-sleep arousal and sleep quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

“…Beyond the assessment of overall sleep quality, several studies also provided information on specific sleep and sleep-related features during the pandemic, like bedtime and waketime [ [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] ], sleep latency [ 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 , 11 ], sleep efficiency [ 5 , 10 ], sleep duration [ 6 , 12 , 13 ], sleep disturbances [ 6 , 7 , 10 , 14 , 15 ], dysfunctional sleep-related beliefs [ 16 , 17 ], and oneiric activity [ [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] ]. At present, the assessment of these specific variables depicts a complex scenario in which the pandemic has had prominent deleterious effects on sleep, as predicted in April 2020 by the European Academy for Cognitive-Behavioural Treatment of Insomnia [ 25 ].…”