Omicron strain is spreading like wildfire over the world, causing a record number of infections. Nonetheless, the dispute over how much the type differs from its predecessors continues unabated.
Omicron symptoms often include a scratchy throat and running nose, but a recent study reveals a new problem that can occur in the middle of the night.
Omicron has unleashed its fury at such a breakneck pace that researchers are still trying to determine how much of a threat the variant poses to existing defenses.
Early evidence suggests that the strain’s ability to re-infect is unprecedented, putting pressure on medical professionals to develop a comprehensive symptom profile for the strain.
According to anecdotal evidence, it only causes moderate symptoms, with the triple-jabbed suffering just little illness.
Although the most prevalent symptoms to date have been a constant dry cough, scratchy throat, and night sweats, there have been recent reports of cases of sleep paralysis as well.
There are several reports on social media of people who have experienced severe sleep disruptions after getting the virus, with many of them describing episodes of sleep paralysis.
A report published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in April was one of the first to describe the sleep disturbance associated with COVID-19.
When the researchers observed a significant rise in sleep fragmentation among patients in quarantine, they concluded that sleep paralysis was a side effect of the pandemic itself, rather than a virus-induced condition.
Dr. Kat Lederly, a sleep therapy specialist, told MailOnline that:
“It could be the virus infection itself impacts on the sleep regulation in the brain (neurological effects of Covid have been reported).
“I think it is more likely that should there be an increase in sleep paralysis, that this is due to the stress resulting from the big changes to how we go and live our lives at the moment, the uncertainty and anxiety that we are facing which are impacting on our sleep system.”
Other scientists, on the other hand, believe that sleep paralysis could be a result of both the virus and the stress it causes.
Sleep paralysis is commonly caused by changes to sleep patterns, according to Kathryn Pinkham, NHS specialist and founder of the Insomnia Clinic.
She said: “Once our sleep pattern becomes disrupted due to ill health or anxiety, then we get stuck in a cycle where we begin to associate bed with being awake.
“For example, the longer we spend in bed tossing and turning unable to sleep, the more we begin to relate our bed to being awake.
“Equally, the more hyper-vigilant and anxious we become about sleep, the worse the cycle gets.
“Sleep paralysis is linked to sleep deprivation, so that would go some way in explaining why Covid and sleep paralysis are linked.”
Sleep therapy expert Dr. Greg Potter explained to FEMAIL that “If there is a link between COVID and sleep paralysis, it could be because the COVID pandemic has caused great psychological stress for many people and has made the sleep schedules of a minority of us less regular’, he said. ‘It could also be that sleep paralysis occurs in some people who have long COVID, but it’s hard to tell right now.”
Night sweats and vivid nightmares have also become common complaints, in addition to sleep paralysis.
Night sweats are defined as excessive perspiration that causes your nightclothes or sheets to get soaking wet.
Omicron, in contrast to the earlier forms of COVID-19, has manifested a distinct set of symptoms.
According to Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, symptoms can differ based on a person’s vaccination status.
According to Spector, the most prevalent symptoms of Omicron among those who have been double-jabbed or boosted include nausea, a little fever, sore throats, and headaches.
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