Research

Mixed

Sleep problems are significantly associated with higher levels of psychological distress (anxiety and depression) across healthcare professionals, the general population, and COVID-19 patients.

If you are experiencing sleep problems during a high-stress period, recognize that this is strongly linked to increased anxiety and depression. Prioritizing sleep hygiene or seeking treatment for sleep issues is not just about rest; it is a critical step in mitigating psychological distress. Treating sleep problems may help reduce psychological distress, and vice versa.

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Sleep problems were associated with depression among healthcare professionals, the general population, and COVID-19 patients, with Fisher’s Z scores of -0.28, -0.30, and -0.36, respectively. Sleep problems were positively (and moderately) associated with anxiety among healthcare professionals, the general population, and COVID-19 patients, with Fisher’s z scores of 0.55, 0.48, and 0.49, respectively.
Zainab Alimoradi et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2021

Why this rating

Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 177 studies with 345,270 participants, providing robust statistical power, though limited by cross-sectional designs.

Source

Sleep problems during COVID-19 pandemic and its’ association to psychological distress: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Zainab Alimoradi et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2021

DOI 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100916

Meta-analysis · 177 studiesCited 387×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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