Abstract
Although the issue has been repeatedly explored, data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s sleep quality are inconsistent. To clarify these discrepancies, here we investigate possible age-related differences. During the lockdown, 112 parents of toddlers (0–3 years, N = 61) and pre-schoolers (4–5 years, n = 51) completed an online survey including the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Sleep-related items required an additional retrospective judgment, referring to the pre-pandemic period. During the lockdown, sleep schedules were delayed in both age groups whereas sleep quality (CSHQ total scores) improved in pre-schoolers but not in toddlers. Between-groups comparisons revealed that, prior to the lockdown, pre-schoolers showed worse sleep quality than toddlers, whereas this difference disappeared during home confinement. Also, pre-schoolers’ sleep timing was advanced before the lockdown and delayed during the lockdown relative to toddlers’. Our data highlight a significant modulation of age on the impact of the pandemic crisis on sleep, with pre-schoolers experiencing greater effects than toddlers. This profile suggests that factors affecting sleep features have different weights at different ages: sleep patterns would be mainly determined by developmental factors (i.e., biological drive) in younger children, whereas environmental factors (e.g., major lifestyle changes) would have a stronger effect on older ones.
Highlights
Was the first European country to fight against the COVID-19 infection, with the first outbreaks in the North of the country occurring at the end of February 2020
Our findings allow us to draw two main conclusions: (a) the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the relevant lifestyle changes brought about by the restrictive measures, affected sleep timing at younger ages in as much a remarkable way as in the adult population, in line with what has been observed in previous studies on sleep during the pandemic; (b) our results add to the existing literature by highlighting that, when it comes to sleep quality, the comparison across age groups reveals important differences: while adults’ sleep is dramatically worsened during the lockdown, toddlers’ sleep is basically unchanged and pre-schoolers’ sleep is even improved
Our findings point to the importance of investigating whether these age-related differences in the sensitivity of sleep to the global emergency would extend to other kinds of severe stressful events and abrupt lifestyle disruptions, either in the short- or in the long-term
Summary
Was the first European country to fight against the COVID-19 infection, with the first outbreaks in the North of the country occurring at the end of February 2020. The Italian Government imposed a nationwide lockdown, lasting from 9 March–18 May 2020 During this period, a range of severe disease control strategies were undertaken, such as home confinement, movement restrictions, smart remote working, and temporary closure of non-essential businesses and schools of every order and degree. Individuals were allowed to leave their homes only for demonstrated necessities, such as health reasons, basic needs, and work. Even though these measures proved useful in preventing further spread of the infection and reducing the overload in intensive care units, this prolonged home confinement had a remarkable impact on people’s mental health [1], that may persist in the long-term [2]. Studies from different countries have shown significant delays in bed- and rise times [6,7,8], worsened sleep quality [7,8,9,10] and increases in insomnia symptoms and sleep disorders [3,4] in adults during the national lockdowns
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