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Semin Respir Crit Care Med
DOI: 10.1055/a-2591-5627
Review Article

Life After COVID-19: Alterations Related to Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

Adriano D. S. Targa
1   Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova-Santa Maria, Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
2   CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
,
Mario Henríquez-Beltrán
1   Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova-Santa Maria, Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
2   CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
3   Núcleo de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Adventista de Chile, Chillán, Chile
4   Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Chile
,
Anna Galan-Gonzalez
1   Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova-Santa Maria, Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
,
Ferran Barbé
1   Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova-Santa Maria, Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
2   CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Funding The authors were supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) through the projects PI22/00216 and COV20/00110, co-funded by the European Union (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional-FEDER “Una manera de hacer Europa”), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red–Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Donation Program “estar preparados” (UNESPA), Jané Mateu Foundation, and Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR/1555-2024). M.H-B. and A.D.S.T. have received financial support from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PFIS 2023: FI23/00253 and Miguel Servet 2023: CP23/00095, respectively), co-funded by European Union (Fondo Social Europeo Plus, FSE + ). A.G.-G. is recipient of a predoctoral fellowship “Personal predoctoral en formació UdL 2024” from University of Lleida. F.B. is supported by the ICREA Academia program.
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Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates reveal that over 777 million people were reportedly infected by SARS-CoV-2, with approximately 7 million deaths and 770 million surviving the disease up to April 2025. Beyond the immediate social and economic impact, an additional challenge arises as a large percentage of COVID-19 survivors report a wide range of symptoms after the acute phase, including fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive difficulties, joint and muscle pain, chest pain, heart palpitations, loss of taste or smell, headaches, depression, anxiety, and sleep and circadian alterations. In this chapter, we will specifically address the sleep- and circadian rhythm-related alterations within this context. First, we will focus on sleep-related changes following the acute phase of the disease, detailing their manifestations, prevalence, and associated factors. We will then discuss the potential impact of these sleep-related aspects on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the severity of COVID-19, and the presence of post-COVID-19 conditions. A similar approach will be applied to address the circadian-related alterations. Finally, we will provide a comprehensive discussion on the overall limitations of available knowledge and its applicability, highlighting the relevance of these findings for the present and future.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2 - COVID-19 - sleep - circadian rhythms


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
21. Mai 2025

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