Sleep Problems and Burnout Are Secondary Threats to Providers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Even urgent care providers who have not been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus are feeling the ill effects of the pandemic. According to a new article in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (subscription required), clinicians who are working longer-than-usual shifts or working shifts out of their normal routine (such as filling in on an overnight emergency room shift or taking on 12-hour telemedicine stretches) are more prone to poor or insufficient sleep and increased risk for burnout—which had been declining in recent years among medical professionals. The article draws on a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that notes increasing estimates of provider burnout. While the article and position statement do not present data tying that emerging trend specifically to the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors do note that increased workload, long hours, sleep interruptions, and insufficient recovery sleep—some or all of which are likely to be experienced by clinicians pitching in at this critical time—are contributors to burnout. As the authors note, “Insomnia related to stress and anxiety about the pandemic may compound the physical, emotional, and cognitive demands of working in high-stress environments.” Be advised that proper rest is not a luxury, but a necessity that will allow you to function at the high level you’re accustomed to—and that your patients and colleagues need.