Changes in sleep patterns among kids during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on their rest
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, young folks faced a whirlwind of changes that put their sleep on the line. The global lockdown shifted routines and added stressors, which hit our furtive brood especially hard. From adjusting schedules and dealing with health worries, these challenges amped up the anxiety levels.
Why the heck are kiddos struggling to sleep during this mess? Well, let's dive into that question!
Unraveling the kiddo sleep riddles during the pandemic
To explore this sleep predicament, a group of researchers took a deep dive into the slumber patterns of Austria's 6-18 year-olds. Their findings lined up with studies looking at kids from other countries, revealing an overall 50% creep in bedtime and wakeup times.
One main takeaway from their research was the significant increase in sleep issues during the lockdown, with almost double the number of children battling sleep problems when compared to pre-pandemic times. The anxiety about the pandemic, unfortunately, played a vital role in the general sleep quality and those hard-to-treat sleep concerns.
The researchers did notice that the older young'uns witnessed larger delays in their snoozing and waking times—most 15-18-year-olds experienced a 2-hour+ setback. It seems that parents may have held tighter reins over the younger ones, enforcing bedtimes, while those teenagers picked their own hours.
What's been going on with other pandemic studies?
You may have heard that the human circadian rhythm shifts around the start of puberty, driving folks towards later bedtimes and morning routines. The lockdown, for better or worse, may have given adolescents a chance to align their sleep patterns with their internal body clock, thus reducing their social jetlag. Sadly, longer screen time and social media use during the pandemic are consistently tied with poor sleep patterns in youngsters.
While some studies have seen reduced sleep hours among youngsters, others have reported increases. In Austria, where some schooling still took place in-person, weekday wake-ups saw smaller delays compared to those with online or hybrid schooling.
What's causing our youngins to catch fewer Zzzs?
Three major culprits emerged.
- ** dropping physical activity**: 3/4 of participants reported a dip in physical activity, with the youngest crew seeing the most significant declines. Given the Austrian recommendation for an hour or more of daily moderate to vigorous activity, this decrease can lead to some serious physical and psychological health woes, not to mention sleep troubles.
- ** Insufficient daylight exposure**: Across all age groups, nearly half of the participants experienced reduced daylight exposure during the lockdown. Daylight acts as a natural cue that helps synchronize the body's internal clock with the sleep-wake cycle. Less daylight exposure can mess up the body's sleep-wake schedule by throwing off the rhythms.
- ** Rising pandemic anxiety**: The youngest participants showed the biggest impact from pandemic-related anxiety on their sleep quality and issues. Anxiety about COVID-19 has been shown to play a significant role in reducing sleep quality among adults and children alike.
Final thoughts
The pandemic has taken a hefty toll on children's sleep patterns, with boxcar delays in bedtime and wake-up times, increased sleep disturbances, and more sleep issues than before the pandemic. As things stand now, it's crucial for policymakers to get their acts together and develop programs that prioritize good sleep and mental health, to help young 'uns weather the pandemic storm.
Sources:[1] American Academy of Pediatrics (2020). AAP's latest clinical report provides guidance on diagnosis and management of Long COVID in children. [2] Sleep Health Journal (2020). Keeping the hours of children and adolescents during COVID-19 lockdown: an Austria-based longitudinal study. [3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Understanding COVID-19 in children. [4] Lancet Psychiatry (2020). A需要的支持:你孩子的心理健康如何在лага
- The increase in insomnia among young individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic can be linked to several factors, including reduced physical activity, insufficient daylight exposure, and rising pandemic anxiety.
- To improve sleep quality and mental health in young people, it's important for policymakers to create programs that prioritize health-and-wellness, address the science behind sleep, and offer support for managing mental-health concerns as a result of the pandemic.
