Short sleep duration or chronic insomnia increases risk of infection

Short sleep duration, and chronic sleep problems based on self-report were linked to greater rates of infection and antibiotic usage among patients who visited their Physician, says an article published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Sleep disorders and short sleep duration, according to accumulating data, increase the risk of infection. As a result, Ingeborg Forthun and colleagues undertook this study to see if chronic sleep issues, chronic insomnia disorder, sleep length, and circadian inclination based on self-report were related to the risk of infections and antibiotic usage among patients seeing their general practitioner (GP).

A cross-sectional study of 1,848 randomly chosen patients who visited their general practitioner in Norway in 2020 was carried out. The validated Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS), questions about self-assessed sleep problems, sleep duration, circadian preference, and whether they had any infections or had used antibiotics within the previous three months were all on a one-page questionnaire that the patients filled out while they waited for the consultation. 

The key findings of this study were:

1. In comparison to patients who slept for 7-8 hours, the risk of infection was 27% and 44% greater in patients who slept for 6 h and >9 h, respectively.

2. Patients with chronic insomnia condition or a persistent sleep issue were also at higher risk.

3. The risk of using antibiotics was higher for individuals who slept less than six hours and for those who had chronic insomnia conditions or a chronic sleep issue.

Patients who reported short or extended sleep durations, chronic insomnia, or a persistent sleep disorder had a greater risk of infection, according to researchers. Patients who reported chronic insomnia conditions, short sleep duration, or a chronic sleep difficulty had a higher likelihood of using antibiotics. While formulating strategies to thwart infections and lessen the need for antibiotics, sleep may be a viable area of focus.

Reference:

Forthun, I., Eliassen, K. E. R., Emberland, K. E., & Bjorvatn, B. (2023). The association between self-reported sleep problems, infection, and antibiotic use in patients in general practice. In Frontiers in Psychiatry (Vol. 14). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1033034