Investigation of the Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic Process on Sleep Habits of Children and Adolescents

Authors : Ebru Buldu, Ayşe Tolunay Oflu, Evrim Gürhan Tahta, Ayşegül Bükülmez

Pages : 1-6

Doi:10.54005/geneltip.1423970

View : 46 | Download : 54

Publication Date : 2025-02-28

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :ABSTRACT Backgraund/Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic process on sleep habits and problems in children. Methods: The mothers of patients aged 0-18 years, who applied to XXX Pediatrics Clinic between May 15 and June 15, 2020, for outpatient health care were included in the study. A structured questionnaire was administered to mothers who volunteered to participate in the study. Results: A total of 457 children, 237 girls (51.9%) and 220 boys (48.1%) participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 10.03±4.4 years (Min:1 - Max:18). The average sleep time before the pandemic was 9.5 hours, and the average sleep time was 10 hours during the pandemic. A delay of 1 hour and 42 minutes was found between bedtime before the pandemic and bedtime during the pandemic (<0.001). A delay of 2 hours and 20 minutes was detected between the morning wake-up time before the pandemic and the morning wake-up time during the pandemic process (<0.001). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the presence of technological devices in the sleeping room increased significantly during the pandemic process, the problems of resisting lying down, having difficulty in lying down alone, falling asleep and teeth grinding problems were significantly increased, and the presence of pre-sleep preparation was significantly reduced (<0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that during the COVID 19 pandemic, the sleep habits of children and adolescents changed significantly compared to the pre-pandemic period, and some sleep problems increased. Recognizing and reducing sleep problems in terms of child health is an important responsibility of healthcare professionals, and parents should be made aware of this issue.
Keywords : uyku, pandemi, covid-19, çocuk, ergen