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. 2021 Feb:78:108-114.
doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2020.12.025. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

School closure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic - Impact on children's sleep

Michael Teik Chung Lim  1 , Mahesh Babu Ramamurthy  1 , Ramkumar Aishworiya  1 , Dimple D Rajgor  1 , Anh Phuong Tran  1 , Prerana Hiriyur  2 , Shangari Kunaseelan  3 , Majid Jabri  3 , Daniel Yam Thiam Goh  4
Affiliations

School closure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic - Impact on children's sleep

Michael Teik Chung Lim et al. Sleep Med. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the sleep habits of school-going children before and during school closure in the national lockdown period (called 'Circuit Breaker' or CB in Singapore) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional, anonymous, online, population-based survey questionnaire was administered to parents aged 21 years and above with children aged between 3 and 16 years attending pre-school, primary or secondary school (equivalent to kindergarten, middle and-high school) and residing in Singapore. Sleep duration in relation to various daily activities including academic activities, physical exercise, and screen time was evaluated pre-CB and during CB.

Results: Data from 593 participants were analyzed. Pre-CB, the overall mean (SD) sleep duration of the study population was 9.01 (1.18) hours on weekdays and 9.99 (0.94) hours on weekends. During CB, mean (SD) sleep duration overall was 9.63 (1.18) hours. Although children generally went to bed later (mean 0.65 h later), they woke up even later during CB (mean 1.27 h later), resulting in longer sleep duration (mean increase of 0.35 h). This was most evident in secondary school children (mean increase of 0.70 h). Children attending private schools (which had later start times) had increased sleep duration (mean 10.01 (SD 0.89) hours pre-CB and 10.05 (SD 0.93) hours during CB) compared to public schools (mean 9.05 (SD 0.91) pre-CB and 9.49 (SD 1.22) hours during CB).

Conclusions: School closure from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in longer sleep duration in school-going children. Early school/academic activity start times had a significant impact on limiting children's sleep duration.

Keywords: COVID-19; Children; Lockdown; School closure; Sleep.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

The ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest associated with this article can be viewed by clicking on the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.12.025.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Difference in sleep hours – CB vs Pre CB: whole study population.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Sleep duration based on level of school: Pre-school children, primary school children and Secondary school children.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Impact of fixed start time to home-based learning on sleep duration: Level of schooling.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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