The effects of COVID-19 stay-at-home order on sleep, health, and working patterns: a survey study of United States health care workers.

Conroy, Deirdre A; Hadler, Nicole L; Cho, Echelle; Moreira, Aliya; MacKenzie, Chamisa; Swanson, Leslie M; Burgess, Helen J; Arnedt, J Todd; Goldstein, Cathy A

STUDY OBJECTIVES By March 2020, COVID-19 forced much of the world to stay at home to reduce the spread of the disease. Some health care workers transitioned to working from home while many continued to report to work in person as essential employees. We sought to explore changes in sleep, health, work, and mood in health care workers during the stay-at-home orders. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey administered to health care workers. The survey assessed changes in sleep, work, screen time, media exposure, diet, exercise, substance use, and mood. The survey data was collected between March 28, 2020, and April 29, 2020. RESULTS A total of 834 of 936 individuals completed the entire survey. Respondents were from 41 US states. Mood after the stay-at-home orders worsened and screen time and substance use increased. Total sleep time (TST) shortened in those continuing to work in-person (p<.001), whereas TST was unchanged in those working from home (p=.73). Those working from home went to bed later, woke up later, and worked fewer hours. Reduced TST and increased screen time before bed were associated with worse mood and screen time. Longer sleep time was associated with better mood. CONCLUSIONS Health care workers' mood worsened regardless of whether work was in person or remote, though TST was shorter for those working in person. Those working from home perhaps shifted sleep time to be more in line with endogenous circadian phase. Peer or other support services may be indicated to address sleep, mood, and health behaviors among health care workers during these unprecedented times.