Severe effects of the COVID-19 confinement on young children's sleep: A longitudinal study identifying risk and protective factors.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 confinement has dramatically altered daily routines, causing decreased sleep quality in adults. This necessitates careful observation, as sleep plays a crucial role in brain maturation and poor sleep increases the risk of psychopathology, particularly in the young population. Through an online survey with one baseline (April 2020) and two follow-up assessments (May and June 2020), we examined the effect of confinement on sleep quality in 452 babies (0-35 months) and 412 preschool children (36-71 months) from several, mainly European, countries. An acute decrease in sleep quality was found in both groups of children. However, at follow-up assessments, this effect rebounded to the level reported for the period before the confinement. Importantly, caregiver's stress level was ide

SUBMITTER: Markovic A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7995145 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature