Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 04, 2026 1 hour, 10 minutes ago
Medical News: For many people, recovering from COVID-19 does not always mean a complete return to normal health. A growing body of research suggests that sleep problems can continue long after the infection has cleared, affecting daily life, mental well-being, and overall health. A new study by researchers from the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, has found that many COVID-19 survivors continue to struggle with insomnia, fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, and even vivid dreams for more than a year after infection.
Study finds that many COVID-19 survivors continue to suffer from insomnia, fatigue, and other sleep disturbances for more
than a year after infection
Researchers Examined Long-Term Sleep Changes
The investigators analyzed data from 245 adults who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Participants completed detailed surveys comparing their sleep habits before and after COVID-19 infection. The average participant was 53 years old, with women making up nearly three-quarters of the study group. Researchers also reviewed medical records to account for existing health conditions and medications that could influence sleep.
Sleep Became Harder After COVID-19
The findings revealed a clear deterioration in sleep quality following infection. Before contracting COVID-19, about 31% of participants reported difficulty falling asleep. After infection, that figure climbed to 39%. Problems staying asleep increased even more dramatically, rising from 43% to 57%.
Researchers also found that the use of sleep medications increased after COVID-19. At the same time, participants were far more likely to report waking up feeling unrefreshed, experiencing persistent daytime fatigue, and taking naps during the day because of overwhelming tiredness. These changes suggest that COVID-19 affects not only nighttime sleep but also daytime functioning and energy levels.
Unexpected Rise in Vivid Dreams and Hallucinations
One of the most surprising discoveries was the increase in unusual dream-related experiences.
More than 31% of participants developed vivid dreams after recovering from COVID-19. Reports of hypnagogic hallucinations—dream-like experiences occurring while falling asleep—also increased significantly. Although these symptoms are sometimes associated with neurological sleep disorders, researchers noted that this appears to be among the first studies documenting their persistence after COVID-19 infection.
Interestingly, snoring did not increase significantly, suggesting that the virus mainly affected insomnia-related sleep disturbances rather than breathing-related sleep disorders. This
Medical News report highlights that the virus may influence the brain's sleep regulation systems in ways scientists are only beginning to understand.
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Problems Continued Beyond One Year
Perhaps the most concerning finding was the persistence of symptoms. Nearly 28% of participants continued experiencing sleep disturbances for more than 12 months after their initial COVID-19 infection. Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, daytime fatigue, frequent napping, vivid dreams, and hallucination-like experiences remained common well beyond a year.
Researchers also observed shifts in sleep duration. Many participants slept fewer hours than they had before becoming infected, while a smaller number reported sleeping longer than usual. Women appeared to be more affected than men, with statistically significant changes in sleep duration occurring primarily among female participants. Importantly, these sleep problems occurred regardless of whether participants had conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, or anxiety and depression, suggesting that COVID-19 itself played an important role.
Why These Findings Matter
Sleep is essential for immune function, memory, emotional health, and physical recovery. Persistent insomnia and daytime fatigue can reduce work performance, increase the risk of accidents, worsen mood disorders, and negatively affect quality of life.
The researchers believe their findings strengthen evidence that long COVID extends well beyond respiratory symptoms. Instead, it appears capable of producing lasting neurological and sleep-related effects that deserve greater attention from healthcare providers. Identifying and treating these problems early may improve recovery and reduce the long-term burden experienced by COVID-19 survivors.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that COVID-19 can leave behind long-lasting sleep disturbances that persist for more than a year in a substantial number of people. Beyond insomnia, survivors may experience excessive fatigue, altered sleep duration, vivid dreams, and unusual sleep-related hallucinations that continue long after the initial illness. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing sleep disorders as a significant component of long COVID and highlight the need for larger, more diverse studies to understand the underlying biological mechanisms and develop effective treatments that restore healthy sleep and improve long-term recovery.
The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed.
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202305.0836
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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