Sleep disorders after Covid can persist for years, Czech research shows

Sleeping disorders such as insomnia, nightmares, or sleep walking after being sick with Covid-19 can persist for months, even years, Czech Television reports citing preliminary data from a large-scale research programme conducted by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ).

More than 30 percent of respondents in a survey conducted by the Institute’s Centre for Researching Sleep and Chronobiology said that they experienced lucid dreaming after recovering from coronavirus. Meanwhile, 17 percent said that they suffer from nightmares. The most common issue cited by those partaking in the survey was insomnia. The latter is most commonly manifested through problems with falling asleep, a broken continuity of sleeping or waking up in the early morning hours, Tereza Dvořáková from NUDZ told Czech Television.

The team of scientists said that the first step in treating sleep disorders is establishing a routine and maintaining sleep hygiene rules. If this is unsuccessful, they recommend seeking out a doctor. Subsequent treatment can include the use of medication or psychotherapy.