Praktické lekárnictvo 3/2022

Analysis of insomnia and its treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders found in the general population. Eliminating insomnia is even more difficult when people are exposed to daily stress, bad news and fear for their loved ones, also due to the consequences of the pandemic situation. The main goal of the presented work was the review and analysis of insomnia and its therapy in respondents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation used information obtained through an anonymous questionnaire survey carried out in a public pharmacy located in the hospital in the Tvrdošín district, as well as through an online questionnaire form in the period from February to March 2021. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions investigating sleep habits, possible causes and solutions of sleep problems, the effects of drugs, other diseases and/or the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of sleep. The survey was completed by 121 respondents, of which 88 were women (73%) and 33 were men (27%). Respondents were divided into three age categories. The majority of respondents were between the ages of 50 and 69 (43%). The answers were evaluated according to the gender and age of the respondents. Pharmacists are frequently required to design the optimal treatment for insomnia, as they are often the first professionals that patients seek out. The pandemic itself may contribute to development of insomnia in patients and should therefore be considered a relevant factor in the diagnosis of insomnia

Keywords: sleep, sleep disorder, insomnia, treatment, pandemic