The relationship between acquaintance with a SARS-CoV-2 death, positive SARS-CoV-2 test results, and sleep duration among college students in fall 2020.

Background: The aim of this study was to test whether two SARS-CoV-2 experiences, knowing someone who had died of SARS-CoV-2 infection and having received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result, were associated with shorter sleep duration among undergraduate students.

Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted at a large public Midwestern university in September 2020 (fall semester). Self-reported average sleep duration and the exposures of interest, knowing someone who died from a SARS-CoV-2 infection and their own SARS-CoV-2 test result, were collected from 1,058 undergraduate study participants.

Results: Respondents who knew someone who had died of a SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to report having a short sleep duration, compared to respondents who did not know someone who had died of a SARS-CoV-2 infection (aOR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.79). However, those with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result were less likely to report a short sleep duration, compared to respondents without a positive test history (aOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.91).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that college students' knowing someone who had died of SARS-CoV-2 infection and having received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result are associated with sleep duration. However, different experiences may impact sleep differently, so further research is warranted to better understand how unusual events impact the sleep of college students.