Anyone have insomnia as symptom of COVID-19?

Posted by mkqq @mkqq, Apr 30, 2020

Hi all,

So I got sick 8 weeks ago and the doctor thinks it might have been Covid-19. There was no way to be certain as the infection was already gone when I visited the clinic last week. They did a CRP test and it showed no sign of infection.

I started with a fever that lasted 3 days and suddenly on the 4th or 5th day I had a sleepless night. Then for the next 5 days I had alternating nights where I slept and where I couldn't sleep at all. For the last 8 weeks or so my sleeping has been absolutely terrible.

The doctor tells me she has seen other Covid-19 patients and some of they say they cannot sleep.

Just wondering is anyone experiencing insomnia as a direct symptom of Covid-19? Or does it always come down to anxiety and your fight/flight response? For me there is a lot of anxiety which is contributing to the problem.

Many thanks

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

darlawall | @darlawall | Feb 18, 2023

In reply to @ripley "I can relate. I'm wearing an antigraphy watch for four more days as part of my..." + (show)

I feel exactly the same. I am so exhausted when I go to bed, as I have severe fatigue, then I only sleep for two hours then I wake suddenly. I may doze off for an hour or so. But I only get a total of 3-5 hours of broken sleep a night. Nothing seems to help. Its very frustrating, since I feel my fatigue cant improve if I'm not getting restorative sleep.

craig007 | @craig007 | Feb 19, 2023

Me too. I feel no one is using this app anymore. Wasting my time?

bereese | @bereese | Feb 19, 2023

I have a hard time sleeping with my long covid, however, I've blamed it on the vibration I have 24/7...hard to sleep when it feels like there's a brick on your gas pedal...mostly 3 or 4 hrs is the most sleep I get a night...

prancer20 | @prancer20 | Feb 19, 2023

I fall asleep fine, but have been waking up around 3 or 4 AM with hot flashes and some sweating that lasts a few minutes and then resolves. Sometimes I can fall back to sleep okay and sometimes it takes a few hours.

mgersh1028 | @mgersh1028 | Feb 20, 2023

In reply to @prancer20 "I fall asleep fine, but have been waking up around 3 or 4 AM with hot..." + (show)

I have had insomnia since the onset of covid in July.
Breathing treatments and oxygen helped in hospital.
My primary doctor prescribed anti-anxiety pill which has helped. I get 4-7 hours of sleep, but get up 2-4 times
a night due to taking diuretic (Lasix). Able to get back to sleep at least once.

ubgchris | @ubgchris | Feb 20, 2023

In reply to @darlawall "I feel exactly the same. I am so exhausted when I go to bed, as I..." + (show)

I got exactly the same. I take Eszopiclone 2mg every night but only get 3 - 4 hrs of broken sleep. I got Covid 19 June last year, several symptoms come and go since then but insomnia is very persistent, it comes every night and I cannot sleep even a minute if I did not take Eszopiclone!
Would appreciate very very much any help and suggestion.!

orlanda | @orlanda | Feb 20, 2023

I have insomnia as well. I started going to bed at 2 am and found it easier to e to sleep. That interferes with m y day so NOW trying to hit the bed by midnight. What has been helping is NOT being at the computer, the cell phone or the TV after 10pm. So hard to do. Practicing relaxation techniques and reading "easy reads" ie--no suspense or action novels. So no spy stories after 10pm!
You are right about the anxiety. I have been afraid of getting COVID again and even more severe. So have been feeling not good about the future. Staying home mostly. SO no way to live----- soo starting to spend time with friends and conquering the fear by "Face and identify the Fear and say out loud "I am facing my fear and it will no longer have a hold on me" . Many nights I sleep better if have been active during the day. Also sleep better if not eating after 8pm. Many nights waken at 3am and get up and read. then in an hour I get sleepy again. I do like my 3 cps of coffee in the am and a pot of tea at 3:30pm and tea again after dinner.
SOOOOO now--switched to decaf coffee and tea and have cut the coffee and tea drinking to 2 cups decaf in am, and 1 cup tea at 3p and herbal tea a 7pm an our after dinner. This is helping. COVID has changed something that has made me sensitive to not only the coffee and tea but other foods as well.

tnik22 | @tnik22 | Feb 20, 2023

In reply to @bereese "I have a hard time sleeping with my long covid, however, I've blamed it on the..." + (show)

I too have this. I have been to er 3 times, mri, ct blood work, ekgs. I litterly cant take it. The vibrations are so terrible. I started on low dose naltrexone 4 months ago, I just can't seem to rid it. It's like I have a valve loose shaking in my body.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Feb 20, 2023

In reply to @craig007 "Me too. I feel no one is using this app anymore. Wasting my time?" + (show)

@craig007, there are hundreds of posts daily to Mayo Clinic Connect. Do you still get the daily digest - an email summary of all the new activity?

craig007 | @craig007 | Feb 20, 2023

Daily digest? Summary? Guess not…. Can I?

View More View Less

Please sign in or register to post a reply.