The Moderating Role of Lifestyle on Insomnia in Home Quarantine College Students During the COVID-19 Epidemic

Abstract

There has been sufficient evidence for the relationship between lifestyle and insomnia in the general population, but for individuals who already suffer from insomnia, it is not clear whether a healthy lifestyle can also pose similar benefits. The present study investigated the roles of different aspects of lifestyle in the development of individual insomnia by tracking insomnia symptoms of college students during the COVID-19 lock-down. Two surveys were conducted on 65,200 college students in the process of home isolation in Guangdong Province of China, at the pandemic outbreak period (T1) and the initial remission period (T2), respectively. Given the objectives of the present study, a total of 1,702 college students with clinical insomnia from T1 were selected as subjects. Insomnia symptoms were assessed using the Youth Self Rating Insomnia Scale (YSIS), while demographic information, epidemic exposure, and lifestyle were all measured by self-developed questionnaire, through network survey. The 1,702 college students (mean age ± standard deviation, 20.06 ± 1.46, range 16–25; 71.9% females) with insomnia symptoms were divided into three trajectory groups: recovery group, remission group, and chronic insomnia group according to their insomnia scores in T2 phase. The results showed that there was no significant difference in demographic backgrounds or epidemic exposure among the three groups, however, there were significant differences in food intake, exercise, and Internet use. The regression results further showed that both the recovery group and the remission group adopted more regular food intake than the chronic group. The recovery group exhibited better daily exercise habits than both the remission group and the chronic group. The duration of Internet use was significantly shorter for the recovery group than for the chronic group. These findings indicate a strong relationship between the lifestyle and the recovery of insomnia for college students isolated at home during the epidemic period. Significance of the different aspects of lifestyle on the recovery of insomnia are discussed.

Relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and internet addiction with insomnia and depression as multiple mediators during the COVID-19 pandemic: a three-wave longitudinal study in Chinese college students

“…Low glycemic index could be one of the characteristics of fruits and vegetables with high fiber content that contribute to reducing insomnia symptoms [ 26 ]. In addition, as important constituents of an anti-inflammatory diet, eating fruits and vegetables in high intakes may help improve insomnia symptoms and sleep quality by promoting production of melatonin and other neurotransmitters including onset and maintenance of sleep, together with restoring the circadian rhythm of the master biological clock [ 77 – 79 ]. These mechanisms could be responsible for the findings that higher FV may be beneficial to sleep.…”

The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality Among Chinese College Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Stress and Smartphone Addiction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…For instance, Zhang et al posited that routine physical exercise serves as a protective factor against the occurrence of chronic insomnia. 14 Hurdiel et al revealed that college students engaging in regular physical activity exhibit a notably lower incidence of sleep disturbances compared to their counterparts without such routines. 53 The facilitation of enhanced sleep quality through physical activity can be elucidated from several perspectives.…”

“…12 A 19-day longitudinal study also demonstrated that less physical activity carries a higher risk of chronic insomnia. 14 Nevertheless, prior research has predominantly concentrated on the nexus between physical activity and sleep quality, leaving the potential mediating mechanisms (ie, how physical activity exerts influence on sleep quality) considerably unexplored during the COVID-19 period. Furthermore, although the relationship between individual characteristics such as depression, 15 anxiety, 16 and loneliness 17 and sleep quality has been extensively discussed in prior studies, the parallel psychological states of stress and smartphone addiction as factors affecting sleep quality have been relatively understudied.…”

Mental Health and Well-Being – Perspective of Undergraduate Urban College Goers

“…Therefore, the study was designed to examine the relationship between lifestyle and insomnia from the perspective of the dynamic evolution of sleep problems. Insomnia exerts non-negligible adverse effects on an individual's daily life (Zhang, 2022). It was reported that insomnia impairs physical and mental functions, reduces work productivity, and could also cause mental problems, such as anxiety and depression, and even suicide.…”