Abstract
Introduction
While there is emerging evidence for acute sleep disruption in the aftermath of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is unknown whether sleep traits contribute to mortality risk. In this study, we tested whether earlier-life sleep duration, chronotype, insomnia, napping or sleep apnea were associated with increased 30-day COVID-19 mortality.
Methods
We included 34,711 participants from the UK Biobank, who presented for COVID-19 testing between March and October 2020 (mean age at diagnosis: 69.4±8.3; range 50.2–84.6). Self-reported sleep duration (less than 6h/6-9h/more than 9h), chronotype (“morning”/”intermediate”/”evening”), daytime dozing (often/rarely), insomnia (often/rarely), napping (often/rarely) and presence of sleep apnea (ICD-10 or self-report) were obtained between 2006 and 2010. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to adjust for age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and relevant risk factors (BMI, hypertension, diabetes, respiratory diseases, smoking, and alcohol).
Results
The mean time between sleep measures and COVID-19 testing was 11.6±0.9 years. Overall, 5,066 (14.6%) were positive. In those who were positive, 355 (7.0%) died within 30 days (median = 8) after diagnosis. Long sleepers (>9h vs. 6-9h) [20/103 (19.4%) vs. 300/4,573 (6.6%); OR 2.09, 95% 1.19–3.64, p=0.009), often daytime dozers (OR 1.68, 95% 1.04–2.72, p=0.03), and nappers (OR 1.52, 95% 1.04–2.23, p=0.03) were at greater odds of mortality. Prior diagnosis of sleep apnea also saw a two-fold increased odds (OR 2.07, 95% CI: 1.25–3.44 p=0.005). No associations were seen for short sleepers, chronotype or insomnia with COVID-19 mortality.
Conclusion
Data across all current waves of infection show that prior sleep traits/disturbances, in particular long sleep duration, daytime dozing, napping and sleep apnea, are associated with increased 30-day mortality after COVID-19, independent of health-related risk factors. While sleep health traits may reflect unmeasured poor health, further work is warranted to examine the exact underlying mechanisms, and to test whether sleep health optimization offers resilience to severe illness from COVID-19.
Support (if any)
NIH [T32GM007592 and R03AG067985 to L.G. RF1AG059867, RF1AG064312, to K.H.], the BrightFocus Foundation A2020886S to P.L. and the Foundation of Anesthesia Education and Research MRTG-02-15-2020 to L.G.
The UK Biobank sample handling and storage protocol for the collection, processing and archiving of human blood and urine