Sleep disturbances in teenagers during the covid19 pandemic

Abstract

The coronavirus 2019 disease unleashed a pandemic with undeniable consequences for human life. Adolescents were especially affected by this period since their routines went through major changes with the closure of facilities that were used for them daily such as schools. Limited access to outdoor activities and reduced peer interactions started dictating their lives. Human sleep schedules were deeply impacted by the lockdown. Sleep quality is in close relation to mental health. In fact, insomnia alone is a clear risk factor for later development of depression. All this data highlights the importance of healthy sleep schedules since it allows good functioning during the day. In this review we overview reported changes in sleep pattern in adolescents during COVID 19 lockdown. A total of 28 articles were retrieved in pubmed. The most consistent findings were: increased sleep latency, later bed and rise times and more sleep disorders. Regarding sleep latency, 4 studies, focused exclusively in teenagers, described them taking about 60 minutes longer to fall asleep after turning off the lights in their rooms. Another study focused on this population, detected a delay in sleep phase, characterized by later sleep and rise times that were attributed to higher screen exposures near bedtime. As total time spent sleeping is concerned, 2 studies focused only in adolescents found contradictory evidence. In conclusion, these findings show the importance of promoting sleep hygiene strategies in adolescents in general, this being particularly relevant in future public health emergencies when profound changes in lifestyle behaviors are imposed.