ABSTRACT

Objective:

This study determined whether children have sleep disorders during the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restriction process, and if they do, to determine in which areas they have problems with sleep, as well as to examine the relationship of sleep disorder with chronotype and coronavirus anxiety.

Materials and Methods:

In April-November 2020, 98 patients attending Kocaeli University Child Psychiatry clinics and attending primary school 1-4^th grade were recruited. “Sociodemographic Form”, “Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire”, and “Children’s Chronotype Questionnaire” were applied to the parents. The short form of the “Coronavirus Anxiety Scale” and the information form about the pandemic process were applied to the children.

Results:

According to the sleep habits questionnaire, 70.4% of the group had clinically significant sleep problems. The most common sleep disorders observed in our study; are bedtime resistance, delayed falling asleep, and nighttime awakenings. A significant relationship was found between physical illness in the family (p=0.019), smoking (p=0.032), sleep pattern change during the pandemic (p=0.002), sleep change of the mother (p=0.006) and/or father (p=0.035), change in appetite (p=0.010), and sleep disorder. According to the chronotype scale, 66 children were morning and children’s anxiety toward coronavirus was low.

Conclusion:

Our study shows that sleep disturbance in children is marked during the pandemic period, but this is due to changes in sleep patterns and parents’ sleep rather than problems related to anxiety or chronotype associated with the pandemic. It will be useful to question these factors and make arrangements in this direction when evaluating the sleep-related problems of patients who apply to outpatient clinics.