When Priya Mathew recovered from a mild case of COVID-19 in November, she thought she was out of danger. Then came the long COVID.
“At one point, I counted 23 symptoms,” Mathew told CBS News. “The most alarming were shortness of breath, shortness of breath, heart palpitations. “
One of the ultimate disabling symptoms? Insomnia.
“Nothing worked. I wake up in agony all night,” he said. “It’s like electric shocks running down my body from head to toe. “
Mathieu is alone. Dr. Emmanuel Pendant, a psychiatrist and neurologist, observed this in sleeping patients at Mount Sinai Hospital.
For those with prolonged COVID, he says insomnia is pain-related and resistant to treatment.
“Pain, which can also occur at night, and a lot of autonomic imbalance, an autonomic deficiency, which is our body’s ability to focus rhythm and blood pressure, which can lead to episodes of palpitations, night sweats,” Durant says.
Even for those who haven’t had COVID for a long time, the pandemic has hurt many nights of restful sleep.
Nearly one-third of Americans reported suffering from sleep disorders since COVID began, according to a 2022 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. That’s down from 56 the year before. The phenomenon is described as “COVID-somnia”.
Because of his own war with sleep deprivation, Mathew shared that he was unable to paint for at least a month.
“Any small task required too much energy. Just take a shower, I had to rest for 3 hours after that,” he said.
Mathews wrote about his experience for the online media outlet Axios, where he works. Like many other people who suffer from COVID for a long time, he says his initial infection felt like a “mild” case.
“Very quickly I realized: if I need to get better, I have to replace my life completely,” he wrote. “. . . When my body wants to rest, I rest. “
Over the past 4 months, he estimates his symptoms have increased by 60 to 70 percent.
Doctors say it’s imperative to stick to smart sleep hygiene habits, adding normal bedtimes and no nighttime screens. If you’re having trouble sleeping, doctors say it’s a smart concept to consult a sleep specialist, as insomnia can reveal other fitness issues, such as sleep apnea.