RESTRICTIVE MEASURES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SLEEP QUALITY IN SPRING 2020: RUSSIAN NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF THE RUSSIAN POPULATION IN SPRING 2020

Abstract

Introduction: Good sleep is an important determinant of health. Poor sleep quality is associated with poor health outcomes. Restrictive measures introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring 2020 have led to unprecedented changes in human lives worldwide warranting research on different aspects of the influence of restrictive measures on human health and behavior. Aim: To study associations between the restrictive measures during COVID-19 pandemic and sleep characteristics in Russia. Moreover, we studied factors associated with changes in sleep patterns. Methods: We conducted a national online survey between 26 April 2020 and 6 June 2020 when the tightest measures were in place. Eligible participants included all Russian adults aged 18 years and over. The questionnaire contained 31 items and included mostly close-ended questions. Sleep quality was assessed before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the last 7 days during the study period. The respondents were asked to determine whether they were getting enough sleep, whether they had trouble falling asleep, and whether they woke up earlier than they wanted. Results: In spring 2020, 2 432 individuals from 62 regions of Russia completed web-based questionnaires. Most of them were from the Republic of Tatarstan (n = 804), Irkutsk (n = 474), Sakhalin (n = 225) and Tver regions (n = 152). For most of the respondents, the sleep characteristics analyzed in the study did not change. Negative changes in comparison with the period before the pandemic were noted a fifth of respondents while positive changes were reported by by 12-30 %. A third of respondents (30.3%) reported that the number of days without getting enough sleep decreased , ranging from 13.8 % in Sakhalin Oblast to 56.9 % in Tver Oblast. Adherence to the self-isolation regimen (OR = 2.15, 95 % CI 1.62-2.86), the presence of children (OR = 0.7, 95 % CI 0.59-0.84) and living in rural areas (OR = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.26-1.98) were the main correlates of sleep problems. Conclusion: Most of responders did not report changes in sleep quality. However, substantial regional differences were identified. identification of characteristics associated with negative sleep changes may contribute to development of targeted measures to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.