Abstract

Background: Sleep is one of the physiologic needs and life activities and affects the quality of life of the person. Today, it is assumed that COVID-19, a life-threatening pandemic, has severe effects on sleep. This study aims to evaluate the changing sleep patterns of healthcare professionals during a pandemic, to measure sleep levels, and to analyze the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and sleep levels. We hypothesize that as the level of fear of COVID-19 increases, sleep problems will increase. Methods: A cross-sectional relational design was used. The research was conducted between February 10 and July 10 2021. The data were collected with the sociodemographic characteristics inquiry form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and COVID-19 Fear Scale assessment tools prepared by the researchers via an online platform. Results: 121 health workers (age 30.76±7.25) participated in the study. While the total PSQI score of the participants in the survey was 8.22±3.91, the total score for fear of COVID-19 was 17.57±6.79. A significant relationship was found between fear of COVID-19 and sleep quality (p