Sleeping less than 6 hours a night? You could be twice as likely to develop long Covid, Hong Kong researchers say
- Chinese University researchers urge everyone to get good night’s rest ahead of World Sleep Day and warn less time in bed can harm immune response
- CUHK team make appeal after working alongside researchers in 15 other locations to review impact of sleep and vaccination on risk of developing long Covid
People are almost twice as likely to develop long Covid if they regularly sleep less than six hours per night, even if they are double vaccinated, Hong Kong researchers who contributed to a global study have warned.
The scholars from Chinese University (CUHK) also urged everyone to prioritise getting more rest ahead of World Sleep Day on Friday, an annual event organised by the World Sleep Society.
“Many people might think sleeping is a waste of time as you don’t do anything during that time. But more and more studies have pointed out that sleeping is important,” said Professor Wing Yun-kwok, who chairs the university’s department of psychiatry, on Thursday.
The CUHK researchers made the appeal after working alongside their counterparts in 15 other countries and regions to chart the impact of the coronavirus on the sleep and well-being of 17,000 adults.
The study analysed the risk of developing long Covid after receiving two doses of an mRNA vaccine, with respondents categorised as short sleepers if they rested for less than six hours each night or long ones if they spent more than nine hours in bed.
Those who slept six to nine hours per night were considered by researchers to have a normal sleeping range.
Symptoms of long Covid include shortness of breath, joint or muscle pains, and loss of smell at least three months after contracting the virus.
