COVID-19's Effect on Sleep Revealed in New Philips Sleep Study

People across the region face hurdles each night in getting a good sleep

For half of the respondents in APAC surveyed, their sleep patterns have been altered by the pandemic – nearly a quarter (22%) say that they now sleep less each night, with just 35% saying that they feel well-rested most of the time when waking up in the morning and 44% experiencing daytime drowsiness.

Falling into a deep, continuous sleep is a challenge for many, with those surveyed facing difficulties like waking up during the night (42%), falling asleep (33%), and staying asleep (26%).

Worry and stress rank as the top reason for APAC adults’ lack of sleep (21%), as well as their mobile devices such as phones and tablets (17%) and sleeping environment (16%).

People in APAC kept awake by worry/stress say they worry most about their financial challenges (54%), work responsibilities (52%), their own/families’ health (38%), and family in general (34%). Nearly half (43%) also worry about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Mobile use leading to inconsistent sleep habits

For those accustomed to using their mobile phones in bed, half (50%) say it’s the last thing they do before falling asleep and the first thing they do when waking up (51%). Most use it for entertainment (49%), charging their phone overnight next to their bed (37%), and over one in five (22%) even respond to texts and calls that wake them up.

The majority of respondents who use their phone before falling asleep (78%) admit that it leads them to fall asleep later than they would like to, due to scrolling through social media (75%), watching videos (67%), checking emails (39%), texting (37%), or reading news about the COVID-19 pandemic (45%).

Taking action towards a better sleep

To get a better night’s sleep, people in APAC are now experimenting with a variety of methods, including playing soothing music (41%), reading (40%), watching television (39%), having a set bedtime/wake-up schedule (35%), reducing caffeine consumption (25%), and using sleep trackers or monitoring their sleep (18%).

Positively, those in APAC are also turning towards telehealth and online health resources to address sleep issues. Half (50%) say the first time they had a telehealth appointment was during the pandemic. With the increased reliance on telehealth during the pandemic, six in ten (60%) respondents expressed a willingness to seek help for sleep related concerns in future from a sleep specialist via telehealth services, although many have yet to take that step.

General awareness of the importance of sleep and the need to tackle underlying sleep issues is also making people in APAC more open to seeing a sleep specialist (45%), their primary care physician (41%), looking into online health sources and websites for information (41%), and using telehealth or seeing a specialist online (40%).

Taking the bold step to address sleep issues such as OSA

While people in APAC are positively seeking ways to address sleep issues, fear continues to hinder individuals from getting diagnosed for sleep conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). One in three (31%) are afraid to take a sleep test as they don’t want to know if they have OSA, with 28% believing it is not necessary to be treated for OSA.

As a seldom-discussed, under-diagnosed condition, OSA is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing throughout the sleep cycle, preventing oxygen from reaching the lungs². With the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing estimated at about 15% in adults, compounded by risk factors like obesity where about two-thirds of Malaysian adults are overweight or obese, it is crucial to diagnose and treat OSA with urgency^3,4. Symptoms of OSA include choking or gasping for air during sleep, loud and persistent snoring and excessive daytime fatigue, and poor concentration during the day.