Elsevier

Sleep Medicine

Volume 78, February 2021, Pages 108-114
Sleep Medicine

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

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.12.025Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Children slept longer when learning moved to the home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • A later start time for daily academic activities resulted in longer sleep duration.

  • Early school start times have an impact on limiting children's sleep duration.

  • A shift to later school start times should be considered to facilitate increased sleep for children.

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
School closure
Children
Sleep
Lockdown

Abbreviations

Circuit Breaker
CB

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