Parental survey of the sleep patterns and screen time in US school children during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background This study compared sleep duration, screen exposure and sleep quality in school-aged children before COVID-19 to that during school closures and again when schools re-opened in fall 2020. Methods Cross-sectional anonymous, online survey of parents of children 5–13 years old. Questions elicited information about sleep timing and quality, screen time, and schooling at three distinct periods: before the pandemic, when schools first closed and then re-opened in the fall. Results Respondents described 101 children who were an average of 8.5 years old and 51% male. In lockdown, children slept 25 min more (95%CI 00:13–00:38) due to later wake times (75 min, 95% CI 0:57–1:34) with later bedtimes (29 min, 95%CI 0:00–0:58). When schools re-opened, sleep duration returned to pre-pandemic levels, but sleep onset and offset times remained later. Despite more sleep, sleep quality and habits (e.g. bedtime refusal) worsened during lockdown and did not normalize in fall 2020. During lockdown, screen time increased in 65% of all children, and 96% of those in private schools. When schools reopened, 78% of children in hybrid/virtual learning had more than 4 h of screen exposure daily. Less screen time was associated with twofold higher odds of better sleep (OR 2.66, 95%CI 1.15–6.14). Conclusions Although school-aged children had more total sleep when schools were closed, sleep quality and habits worsened. Upon return to school, sleep times and quality did not normalize and were linked to screen time.

Behavioral and Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents following COVID-19 Disease: A Case-Control Study

“…Most after-school activities for kids and teenagers that traditionally take place outside and in groups were cancelled, along with the schools closing. Children and teenagers were living in a physical state of protracted social isolation, increasing their reliance on social networks [28,29]. Children and adolescents faced specific challenges depending on their stage of life and how both the COVID-19 disease and restrictions impacted them [30,31].…”