Clinical trend of sleep disorders related to long COVID

• Published in: JAPANESE JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL GENERAL MEDICINE Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 129 - 134
• Main Authors: Sunada, Naruhiko, Otsuka, Fumio, Furukawa, Masanori, Tokumasu, Kazuki, Otsuka, Yuki, Honda, Hiroyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: JAPAN SOCIETY OF HOSPITAL GENERAL MEDICINE 31.05.2024; 一般社団法人 日本病院総合診療医学会
• Subjects: COVID-19; オミクロン; コロナ罹患後症状; 内分泌障害; 睡眠障害
• ISSN: 2185-8136; 2758-7878
• DOI: 10.60227/jhgmwabun.20.3_129

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the clinical characteristics of long COVID by focusing on the sleep disorders, which have been increased during the outbreak of Omicron-mutant strain. Of 718 patients with long COVID patients who visited our outpatient clinic from February 2021 to June 2023, 148 (20.6%) cases had sleep disorders, in which the long COVID caused by the Omicron variants was predominant (25%; P < 0.01) compared with the preceding and Delta strains. During the Omicron- dominant phase, the number of patients with the mid-awakening type of sleep disturbance have been increased, in which brain-fog symptoms was revealed to be significantly frequent (54%, P < 0. 01). Furthermore, serum cortisol levels were significantly lower in the patients with disturbed deep sleep (P < 0.05). Collectively, the disordered stress response is, at least in part, involved in the changes in sleep disturbance seen in the patients with long COVID.