Morbidities Worsening Index to Sleep in the Older Adults During COVID-19: Potential Moderators

Abstract

Older adults were considered a vulnerable group for the COVID-19 infection and its consequences, including problems with sleep.AimTo evaluate the prevalence of sleep disorders in older adults, to describe their sleep patterns, as well as to analyse if there were any changes in comparison with the period pre-pandemic.Materials and MethodsOnline survey used for data collection received answers from 914 elderly age range 65–90 years, from April to August 2020. Results: 71% of the sample reported a pre-existent sleep disorder, and some of them worsened during the pandemic, especially Insomnia in women and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in men. No difference in sleep duration before and during the pandemic was found, although there was a worsening of some aspects related to sleep, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, awakening quality, sleep latency and nocturnal awakenings, especially in the female gender. Educational level influenced sleep latency, indicating higher sleep latency among those with primary education when compared with the ones with Ph.D.ConclusionThe pandemic had influenced sleep patterns among the elderly, as well as worsening of pre-existent sleep disorders. Female gender and low educational level were considered risk factors for sleep alterations, and high educational level, on its turn, appeared to be a protective factor.

COVID-19–Related Insomnia Populations Research and Management Strategies: A Review

“…De Almondes et al 27 conducted a survey of 914 elderly people during the first outbreak wave in Portugal and found that there was no difference in sleep duration before and during the pandemic, but some aspects related to sleep, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, wake-up quality, sleep latency and nocturnal awakening, were worsened. These incidences were higher in older women 28 …”

“…These incidences were higher in older women. 28 Varghese et al 29 showed that the incidence of COVIDRI among Italian adolescents was 12.13% in 2020, but it raised to 23.19% by 2021. High levels of bad sleeping habits, including late sleep, poor sleep hygiene and using electronic devices before sleep, were the main reasons for COVIDRI in adolescents.…”

A two-mediator serial mediation chain of the association between social isolation and impaired sleep in old age

“…For example, among 5698 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Shankar 19 found that baseline loneliness was associated with an increase in the odds of reporting short sleep and more sleep problems at follow-up. In addition, numerous global studies indicate that daily variations in loneliness are strongly associated with impaired sleep among older people 54 , 55 . Although this association may be bidirectional, older adults with poor sleep can feel extremely lonely 21 .…”

Sleep Quality among Older Adults in Brazil during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: The Role of Physical Activity

“…2 The literature has reported that the worldwide pandemic and social isolation led to high levels of stress, which significantly compromised sleep quality (higher sleep latency, insomnia, night consciousness); in other words, social distancing was a determining factor in worsening the sleep quality among older adults. 3,4 In a research performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lipert et al 5 reported that 64% of 1,959 adults aged > 18 years experienced worsened sleep quality during the pandemic. Factors such as staying at home, working remotely, restricting outdoor activities and social interactions, and managing the imminent risk of infection from the causative virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), were decisive in this scenario.…”