Sleep patterns during the pandemic and covid-related stress: a large-scale study in the general population of Serbia and Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic many people experienced psycho-social stress which affected their sleep. This study was conducted during the third and fourth epidemic wave when international borders of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were entirely open, no curfew or wearing face masks were imposed, but the highest rates of COVID-19-related fatalities were reported. The aim of this study was to examine sleep patterns with COVID-related stress during the pandemic. METHODS Anonymous paper questionnaires were distributed from September 2020 to October 2021 across 8 cities in Serbia and Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Socio-epidemiologic characteristics, the COVID Stress Scales-CSS and the Perceived Stress Scale were administered. Sleeping patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (bedtime, time spent sleeping and sleep quality) were recorded. RESULTS Responses of 2,301 participants suggested that bedtime after midnight before and during the pandemic did not differ (13.4% vs. 14.8%, respectively). Most participants reported similar length of sleep before and during the pandemic (around 7 h), although 11% of them reported that during the pandemic they slept more often compared to pre-pandemic sleeping schedule. There was an increase in prevalence of poor sleep quality during the pandemic (4.5% vs. 9.4%, respectively). Sleeping more often compared to pre-pandemic sleeping schedule and poor sleep quality during the pandemic were independently associated with a higher CSS. CONCLUSION Proportion of people who reported poor sleep quality doubled in the pandemic. Optimizing sleep quality in crises among people who experience poor sleep quality should be prioritized when managing public health emergencies.