Sleep Disturbances in Healthcare Professionals During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Objectives: To determine the incidence of sleep disturbances, including insomnia in healthcare professionals dealing with COVID-19 patients. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at inpatient infectious disease units, emergency department and ICU (for COVID-19 patients), at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from February 2022 to April 2022. All the individuals participating in the study were healthcare professionals. Insomnia Severity Index was used for the questionnaire. The scores of the surveyed subjects were calculated and the characteristic demographics of the subjects were analyzed. Results: An upward trend in the incidence of poor sleep quality was noted among the healthcare professionals who participated in this study. Out of 160 healthcare professionals, 93(58.1%) of the population was females, while 67(41.9%) were males. The majority of participants (p<0.05) were between the ages of 20 and 30 years, followed by 31 to 40 years and 41 to 50 years. A significant proportion of the population (p<0.05) belonged to the unmarried group, followed by the married, separated, and divorced with a percentage of 60.6, 36.2, 2.5 and 0.6%, respectively. Moreover, 84.4% (135/160) of healthcare professionals (p<0.05) had a previous history of sleep disorders. Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score system was used to analyze the intensity of sleep disorders and insomnia in the affected persons and it was found that most of the participants were diagnosed with subthreshold insomnia (38.8%). Conclusion: The study elucidated that there was a significantly higher incidence of sleep disturbances and insomnia, in healthcare professionals working in Covid-19 care units.