{"id":12216,"date":"2021-04-23T23:50:41","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T21:50:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/?p=12216"},"modified":"2021-04-23T23:50:41","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T21:50:41","slug":"sleepless-after-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/sleepless-after-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleepless After COVID-19: Lasting Impact on Brain and Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"
By now, most are fully aware that COVID-19 is not merely a respiratory viral infection. About <\/span>one-quarter<\/span><\/a> of those who get sick experience neurological symptoms in addition to the well-known flu-like symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n But the loss of smell and taste, headaches, dizziness, and brain fog are not the only effects that this \u201ccoronavirus\u201d has on our brain\u2019s health and performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A new <\/span>Oxford study<\/span><\/a> found out that<\/span> 34% of those who recover from COVID-19 develop neurological and psychological conditions <\/b>within the first six months.<\/span><\/p>\n The study, involving over <\/span>230,000 COVID-19 patients<\/b>,<\/span> showed that insomnia, anxiety (17%), and mood disorders (14%) are the most frequent post-infection diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n Luckily, neurological consequences like stroke, dementia, and others are <\/span>less frequent<\/span><\/a>. Nonetheless, they are <\/span>more present in former corona patients<\/b> than in the general population.<\/span><\/p>\n That said, the reasons behind these \u201c<\/span>long haulers<\/span><\/a>\u201d are not yet known. What\u2019s even more confusing is that the severity of the infection has little to do with the risk of developing them.<\/span><\/p>\n 26%<\/span><\/a> of those that overcame COVID-19 have sleeping issues like insomnia and <\/span>sleep apnea<\/span>. COVID-19-induced insomnia is sometimes caused by <\/span>anxiety<\/span> and fear of falling asleep due to a \u201cfeeling of drowning\u201d or the fear of stopping breathing.<\/span><\/p>\n Those with post-COVID-19 sleep apnea keep waking up due to <\/span>oxygen saturation<\/span><\/a> drop. According to health professionals, this can be caused by <\/span>incurred neurological abnormalities in their breathing control center<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These sleep disturbances can lead to other severe conditions. For example, people with insomnia have a <\/span>28% higher risk<\/span> of developing <\/span>diabetes<\/span>. Furthermore, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure \u2014 a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n