Stress-, Anxiety-, and Cellphone use-induced Sleep Deficits and Psychological Conditions during the Pandemic and a Potential Remedy: a Randomized, Parallel, Blinded, Placebo-controlled Study

Abstract

Healthier environments could prevent almost one quarter of the global burden of disease. The COVID-19 pandemic is a further reminder of the delicate relationship between people and our planet (WHO 2022). Since the appearance of the cell phone, the anomalous use of this device has called into question, as a new healthier environment issue, especially during this COVID-19 virus pandemic spreading, which may be linked to social isolation. This problem is identical to the one regarding the existence of behavioral addictions, including rigidity and muscle pain, ocular afflictions resulting from Computer Vision Syndrome reflected in fatigue, dryness, blurry vision, irritation, or ocular redness, auditory and tactile illusions – the sensation of having heard a ring or felt a vibration of a cell phone, and pain and weakness in the thumbs and wrists leading to an increased number of cases of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. With respect to the psychological problems derived from cellphone dependence, the research focuses on the sub-consequence of cellphone dependence, sleep interference and its coexistence with using substances such as alcohol and tobacco and with symptomatology and psychiatric comorbidities, particularly anxiety, stress, and depression. In this study, authors surveyed 288 volunteers to gain insight regarding how stress, anxiety, and time spent on cellphones affected sleep and mood, and how a novel herb compound preparation, dihydromyricetin (DHM)-containing product improves these syndromes. The results clearly showed a negative linear correlation between sleep duration vs stress level and time on cellphone, and a negative correlation between wake-up mood/symptoms vs stress. Interestingly, volunteers taking DHM-containing product, but not placebo, showed substantial improvements in stress levels, hours of sleep, especially cellphone dependence, and wake-up mood/symptoms. This is a highly interesting study that addresses the current health problems, new healthier environment issue and suggests a potential therapeutic roles of DHM and/or herbs in behavioral addictions and associated mental health and wellbeing.