This book examines the correlation of the coronavirus disease-19 [CE1] [AAS2] (COVID-19) infection with sleep, circadian rhythm, and sleep disorders. The chapters of the book explore sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with psychological distress and also review the prevalence of clinical cases of insomnia, anxiety, and depression in COVID-19 patients. The book further presents the correlation between sleep, circadian rhythms, and immunity that contributes toward more severe COVID-19. It summarizes the evidence on the interplay between circadian biology, sleep, and COVID-19. The chapters of the book discuss the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Towards the end, the book presents studies on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunotropic properties of melatonin and provides mechanistic insights into the potential therapeutic use of melatonin during the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The last chapter describes the publication output of sleep-related research during the pandemic and provides an overview and trends on sleep and covid-19 publication output. This book is an excellent source for neurologists, sleep specialists, and public health specialists.

The editors are pleased to present the first edition of COVID-19 and Sleep: A Global Outlook, which has been included in the prestigious Progress in Sleep Research series. As editors, we are pleased about this decision as our volume fits perfectly in this landmark biomedicine and clinical sciences series from Springer.

All animal species require sleep, which shows that sleep is essential for maintaining essential functions. However, the time people spend sleeping at night is decreasing, and this trend is becoming more pronounced in modern 24-h societies. According to epidemiological and experimental studies, sleep deprivation has been linked to deleterious effects on physical and mental health, well-being, longevity, and general health-related quality of life.

Immune interactions related to sleep are a common occurrence in real life and conventional wisdom. Being sick makes us sleepy and want to sleep more, which is why getting a good night’s sleep is sometimes referred to as “nature’s best medicine” for infections. It is believed that improving sleep during an infection will act as a feedback loop for the immune system to support host defense. Therefore, sleep promotes host resistance against infection and inflammatory stimuli by acting as an immune-supportive mechanism. Indeed, sleep influences several immune parameters, is linked to a lower risk of illness, and can enhance the course of infection and the effectiveness of vaccinations.

Numerous research conducted over the past few decades have explicitly demonstrated that sleep and immunity have mutually beneficial interactions. Notably, sleep and the immune system seem to work in tandem, particularly when the body is fending off illness. Immune system operations are strongly regulated by sleep and the circadian (~24-h periodicity) rhythm, which affects how well our body defends itself innately and adaptively. Along these lines, chronic sleep deprivation is believed to impair our body’s immune system, making us more susceptible to infections such as the common cold. The immune system is stimulated by microbial challenges, which results in an inflammatory response. This reaction can either increase sleep duration and intensity or interrupt sleep depending on its severity and time course. A chronic inflammatory state and an increased risk for infectious/ inflammatory pathologies, such as cardiometabolic, neoplastic, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative dysfunctions, have been linked to sleep deprivation and altered innate and adaptive immunological parameters.

To enhance physical and mental well-being across animal species, including humans, sleep quality and adaptation to individual and environmental conditions are crucial. The connection between sleep and the immune system and how sleep disruptions may upset the delicate balance with serious consequences for health outcomes have been the subject of growing evidence in recent years.

Sleep has drawn particular attention in recent years due to its possible impact on the immune system. Several studies have shown that lack of sleep alters several immune system components, including the percentages of cell subpopulations and cytokine levels, making people less resistant to infections, particularly viral infections [1]. Additionally, the immune response to infections affects sleep patterns, indicating a possible bidirectional relationship between sleep and immune responses [2].

In this specialized volume, the editors have come together to address the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic crisis. COVID-19 transformed into a horrible global public health problem that impacted the general people’s and healthcare professionals’ sleep and mental health. This stressful situation significantly impacted everyone’s everyday activities and sleep patterns, affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Moreover, systematic reviews have reported a high prevalence of sleep problems globally, with the most affected groups being patients with COVID-19 and healthcare workers, in addition to the general public [3–5]. During the pandemic and lockdown, insomnia symptoms, circadian rhythm disruption, dream recall frequency, and nightmares were common. Additionally, subsequent studies suggested that some sleep disorders could be linked to COVID-19. For example, evidence suggests that OSA patients may be more likely to experience severe COVID-19 [6].

The term “long COVID” has recently appeared, reflecting the persistence of some symptoms, after recovery from the acute illness, for weeks to months following a relapsing and remitting course. It has been shown that sleep problems may persist months after COVID-19 infection [7]. A recent international survey of 14,000 participants from 16 nations reported that long-lasting sleep problems, such as insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness in COVID-19 patients, were linked to the disease’s severity [8].

Moreover, the quarantine, curfew, and infection control measures have changed the medical practice during the pandemic, affecting sleep medicine practice and the performance of diagnostic and therapeutic sleep medicine procedures. Therefore, to meet the pandemic’s demands and unforeseen circumstances, COVID-19 required a significant adjustment in healthcare policies and practices, such as the complete shift to home sleep apnea testing and telemedicine [9, 10].

To address current pandemics and upcoming ones, it is therefore vital to compile all of this accumulating data for academics and practitioners in one volume. This volume combines novel basic research and clinical aspects and is the first of its kind to take a critical look at the rapidly expanding areas linking COVID-19 with sleep science, sleep disorders, and sleep medicine practice. The practical importance and the availability of new data were taken into consideration while selecting the topics for this volume, though the majority of authors emphasize the need for more research. The volume brings together leading international scientists and clinical researchers to present research at the forefront of this field and explore the ramifications of advances in these cutting-edge areas, as well as their implications for an improved treatment paradigm. Additionally, each contributor represents a particular area of expertise in the study of sleep and COVID-19 and hails from a different world region. We expect this volume to provide an authoritative reference resource for researchers, practitioners, trainees, and students.

This specialty volume covers a wide range of important topics related to COVID- 19 and sleep, including the link between sleep and circadian rhythm with the immune system, sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm disorders in various populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, impact of COVID-19 infection and pandemic on common sleep disorders, management of sleep disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, role of telemedicine in the management of sleep disorders during pandemics, running of sleep medicine services during pandemics, and positive airway pressure management and the risk of aerosol during pandemics. This volume will be a great addition to the growing data on the impact of COVID-19 on sleep, sleep disorders, and sleep medicine.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have compiled this volume. We learned a lot while editing this important volume as part of our assignment. We sincerely hope that readers will find this volume extremely useful as a research and clinical resource. We sincerely hope that this volume will be useful to researchers and clinicians in the field. However, as the topic is evolving, this book aims as well to spark further discussion and stimulate more research ideas.

Summary:

Title: COVID-19 and Sleep: A Global Outlook
Author: Ahmed BaHammam, S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Haitham Jahrami
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Edition: – Edition
Language: English
Pages: 438
Ebook: PDF
File size: 10 MB
ISBN Number: 9819902398, 9789819902392
CBID: CBM336