Insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: an examination of biopsychosocial moderators

Abstract

Objective/background: Healthy sleep is vital for physical and psychological health, and poor sleep can result in a myriad of negative physical and psychological outcomes. Insomnia symptoms often manifest as a result of acute life stressors or changes, and COVID-19 experiences may be one such stressor. Other known predisposing factors to insomnia may moderate the impact of COVID-19 experiences on sleep. The present study aimed to determine current levels of insomnia severity in a US sample, to investigate the relation of COVID-19 experiences to insomnia symptoms, and to determine which individuals are most susceptible to this association.

Methods: Data were drawn from a larger online survey investigating sleep and health outcomes across the lifespan. COVID-19 experiences were assessed with the exposure and impact subscales of the CAIR Pandemic Impact Questionnaire (C-PIQ). The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) measured insomnia symptoms. Biological, psychological, and social moderators were measured using other brief self-report measures.

Results: Insomnia symptoms prevalence was as follows: moderate-to-severe symptoms (25.5%), subthreshold symptoms (37.7%), and no symptoms (36.7%). Individuals' COVID-19 experiences significantly predicted insomnia symptom severity [F(1,997) = 472.92, p < 0.001, R² = 0.32]. This association was moderated by race, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical somatization, and social loneliness, but not age, gender, or education.

Conclusions: Although negative experiences with COVID-19 are associated with worse insomnia symptoms, this relationship is not the same for everyone.

Keywords: COVID-19; Insomnia symptoms; Moderators; Pandemic; Sleep.