Brain Sleep Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kosuke Michibata; hereinafter "Brain Sleep") conducted an online survey and obtained results suggesting that individuals suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus experienced lower sleep quality, with a particularly high percentage of them being patients with sleep apnea syndrome. This survey was conducted in January 2021, targeting 10,000 people across 47 prefectures in Japan (allocated by gender, age, and prefecture), with the aim of understanding the actual sleep conditions of Japanese people. In addition to questions to measure "Sleep Deviation Score®," created by Brain Sleep to quantify sleep habits and sleep quality, respondents were asked questions related to COVID-19 infection. It has long been pointed out that sleep is essential for strengthening immunity, and sufficient sleep is necessary for the proper effectiveness of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. The results of this survey indicate that sleep quality may affect immunity, suggesting that it is more important than ever to raise awareness about sleep in order to overcome the novel coronavirus. Based on the results of this survey, Brain Sleep will introduce a new service program focused on strengthening immunity within its "Sleep Deviation Score®" service for corporations. The Relationship Between Immunity and Sleep – Comparison of Sleep Deviation Scores by Symptoms (Common Cold, Influenza, Novel Coronavirus) Since 2020, the novel coronavirus has raged worldwide, significantly changing people's lifestyles and greatly impacting sleep. On the other hand, this survey revealed that differences in people's sleep conditions may be strongly related to changes in their physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparing sleep deviation scores between those who experienced poor health due to the common cold, influenza, or novel coronavirus between January 2020 and the end of January 2021 and those who did not, those who experienced poor health had significantly lower sleep deviation scores. In particular, individuals suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus, especially those who underwent hotel recuperation, showed remarkably low sleep deviation scores. While these survey results only evaluate current sleep deviation scores and do not indicate a causal relationship between poor health and sleep conditions over the past year, it is conceivable that individuals who experienced or felt unwell had reduced immunity, which may have led to lower sleep deviation scores due to underlying sleep problems. Frequency of Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Lifestyle Habits in Suspected Cases of Novel Coronavirus Infection A more detailed analysis of response trends was conducted for "individuals who underwent hotel recuperation due to suspected novel coronavirus infection," who showed a particularly large difference in sleep deviation scores in the previous section. A notable finding from the analysis was that 42% of individuals who underwent hotel recuperation had "received treatment for sleep apnea syndrome in the past or currently." This proportion is extremely high compared to the 3% for those who did not, suggesting a very high percentage of individuals with suspected sleep apnea syndrome among those suspected of novel coronavirus infection. Recently, it was reported in the United States that many COVID-19 patients suffer from sleep apnea syndrome. In Japan, too, 42% of suspected COVID-19 cases were suspected of having sleep apnea syndrome, while the prevalence among those not suspected of infection was 3.1%, showing a more than tenfold difference. Sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by a significant decrease in sleep quality, which may have contributed to the decrease in sleep quality among infected individuals. Furthermore, data revealed that individuals who underwent hotel recuperation also had higher frequencies of drinking and smoking, which are lifestyle habits closely associated with sleep apnea syndrome. Specifically, regarding the frequency of drinking before sleep, 23% of those who underwent hotel recuperation answered "almost daily," while only 11% of those who did not answered "almost daily." Regarding smoking habits, including those who used to smoke, 58% of those who underwent hotel recuperation had a smoking habit, whereas 39% of those who did not had experience with smoking. From these results, it can be inferred that a significant number of individuals suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus may have had suspected sleep apnea syndrome as one of the contributing factors, which, stemming from irregular sleep and lifestyle habits, potentially led to a decline in immunity. Comment by Seiji Nishino Founder of Brain Sleep, Author of "Stanford's Best Sleep" The results of this survey are considered to be very shocking. While it was predictable that sleep quality is involved in novel coronavirus infection, and it has recently been reported in the United States that many COVID-19 patients suffer from sleep apnea syndrome, the fact that 42% of novel coronavirus infected individuals in Japan were suspected of having sleep apnea syndrome is significant. In this survey, the percentage of sleep apnea syndrome among uninfected individuals was 3.1%, which is close to the prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome in the general Japanese population. Therefore, 42% of infected individuals being suspected of apnea is an astonishing number. It is possible that the decrease in sleep quality due to sleep apnea syndrome, and subsequently the decrease in immunity due to poor sleep quality, led to novel coronavirus infection. It is also interesting that factors such as oral dryness due to mouth breathing may be involved. While this survey also confirmed the negative effects of alcohol consumption and smoking on infection, the significant impact of sleep quality and sleep-disordered breathing is a very useful finding and is expected to have a major impact on future infection prevention measures. Background of the "Immunity Boosting Special Plan" Implementation Based on the results of this survey, Brain Sleep will introduce a new service program focused on strengthening immunity within its "Sleep Deviation Score®" service for corporations. Prior to the official launch of the new service, we have begun recruiting companies for a limited trial experience. Overview of the "Immunity Boosting Special Plan" This plan supports employees in improving their sleep and boosting their immunity by checking their sleep status. 1. Implementation of Sleep Deviation Score for Biz (a web-based sleep diagnosis service) 2. Provision of group analysis reports 3. Provision of an immunity-boosting solution (select one from ① to ④ below) ① Holding immunity x sleep seminars / online ② Mindfulness meditation*1 program to reduce brain fatigue / online *1 What is mindfulness meditation: A method that allows us to escape from our busy, scattered thoughts and emotions by focusing our awareness on our actions and movements, thereby improving our condition. ③ Sleep improvement yoga / online ④ Doctor-supervised sleep improvement email newsletter distribution / 5 issues Target companies: Limited to 5 companies Number of participants: Up to 100 people Cost: Free Participation conditions: Cooperation with a survey after plan implementation, and publication as a case study of implementing companies Application method: Please contact https://brain-sleep.com/contact/ or suiminhensachi@brain-sleep.com with "Immunity Boosting Special Plan" in the subject line. Sleep Deviation Score® Research Result Page https://brain-sleep.com/sleep-deviation/research2021/ Brain Sleep can provide various information regarding this survey. What is Sleep Deviation Score®? When evaluating sleep, attention is often focused solely on simple quantitative data such as sleep duration. However, Brain Sleep believes it is crucial to evaluate sleep from a more multi-faceted and comprehensive perspective. Therefore, we created a set of questions to quantify subjective sleep evaluations from a wide range of viewpoints, including self-reported symptoms and sleep habits. By further quantifying this as a "deviation score," a familiar concept in Japan, we built a system that allows for understanding one's relative sleep status within the overall Japanese population. This is the "Sleep Deviation Score®." Currently, with NTT East as an innovation partner, we are developing "Sleep Deviation Score for Biz," a health management service for corporations. This service visualizes employee "sleep" and "engagement" with the company, and by comparing it with the national sleep deviation score, it allows companies to identify previously unnoticed issues and improve presenteeism. 【Survey Outline】 Survey method: Web survey Target area: Nationwide Target audience: Men and women Sample size: n=10,000ss Survey period: January 2021 *For comparisons of sleep deviation scores and other scores between groups, t-tests were conducted, and a statistically significant difference was determined and reported when the significance level was 5% or less. *Some target subjects and survey items have been changed compared to last year's survey.
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