Social Jetlag Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Predictor of Insomnia – A Multi-National Survey Study

Abstract

Purpose: Lifestyle and work habits have been drastically altered by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether the associated changes in sleep timing modulate the risk of suffering from symptoms of insomnia, the most prevalent sleep disorder, is however incompletely understood. Here, we evaluate the association between the early pandemic-associated change in 1) the magnitude of social jetlag (SJL) -ie, the difference between sleep timing on working vs free days -and 2) symptoms of insomnia. Patients and Methods: A total of 14,968 anonymous participants (mean age: 40 years; 64% females) responded to a standardized internet-based survey distributed across 14 countries. Using logistic multivariate regression, we examined the association between the degree of social jetlag and symptoms of insomnia, controlling for important confounders like social restriction extension, country specific COVID-19 severity and psychological distress, for example. Results: In response to the pandemic, participants reported later sleep timing, especially during workdays. Most participants (46%) exhibited a reduction in their SJL, whereas 20% increased it; and 34% reported no change in SJL. Notably, we found that both increased and decreased SJL, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, were associated with later sleep midpoint (indicating a later chronotype) as well as more recurrent and moderate-to-severe symptoms of insomnia (about 23-54% higher odds ratio than subjects with unchanged SJL). Primarily those with reduced SJL shifted their bedtimes to a later timepoint, compared with those without changes in SJL. Conclusion: Our findings offer important insights into how self-reported changes to the stability of sleep/wake timing, as reflected by changes in SJL, can be a critical marker of the risk of experiencing insomnia-related symptoms -even when individuals manage to reduce their social jetlag. These findings emphasize the clinical importance of analyzing sleep-wake regularity.

Changes in Sleep Pattern During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Patients With Narcolepsy, Idiopathic Hypersomnia, and Restless Legs Syndrome

“…4 In another study most participants exhibited a reduction of their social jetlag, with later sleep timing; but more insomnia. 5 Other studies also showed delayed bedtimes and wake-up times, more time spent in bed, and poorer sleep quality in young adults, with more changes in those with higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. 29 More insomnia disorders, especially in women and younger age groups, were also reported in a third collaborative study.…”

The emerging importance of tackling sleep–diet interactions in lifestyle interventions for weight management

“…The interaction between sleep, diet and health has been in a state of flux in the last couple of years due to sudden changes in working practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many people, this has resulted in the adoption of hybrid working patterns that could potentially reduce the degree of social jetlag (83) , although the overall impact on sleep health and well-being of hybrid working relative to 100 % office working or fully working at home is not yet clear (84) . More research is needed to understand the potential impact of increased working from home on sleep habits, dietary behaviours and risk of weight gain so that employers have all the information they need to provide support for workers' health and well-being.…”

The Oneiric Activity during and after the COVID-19 Total Lockdown in Italy: A Longitudinal Study

“…The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences dramatically affected psychological well-being [ 1 , 2 ]. Moreover, many studies have documented the strong and complex effects of the pandemic on sleep pattern and their relationship with sociodemographic, environmental, and clinical variables [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”