Sleep quality, timing, and psychological difficulties in Italian school age children and their mothers during COVID 19 lockdown

Background. By March 10th, 2020, the Italian Government has ordered a national lockdown to limit viral transmission of COVID-19 infection, which establishes home confinement, movement restriction, home (smart) working, and temporary closure of non-essential businesses and schools of every order and degree. The current study investigated how these restrictive measures impacted sleep quality, timing, and psychological difficulties in school-age children and their mothers during the lockdown.Methods. Using an online survey, 299 mothers reported their sleep habits (timing, quality, quantity), time experience, and psychological difficulties (emotional and behavioral) and of those of their children (6-10 yrs old) during the home confinement and, retrospectively, before the lockdown. Results. During the lockdown, children showed a marked delay in sleep timing, i.e., later bedtime and wake time, and a mild worsening in sleep quality. They were less prone to respect the daily routines and to keep track of the passage of time. We also observe increased emotional, conduct, and hyperactive symptoms, and the increase in these psychological difficulties was predicted by the change in sleep quality, boredom, and mothers’ psychological difficulties. Also, mothers showed a delayed sleep timing and worsening of sleep quality during the lockdown, which degree varied depending on their working conditions. Mothers who kept working regularly outside their home during the lockdown reported a more regular sleep pattern, whereas mothers who stopped working showed more emotional symptoms and relevant changes in their time perception. Conclusions. Overall, given the evidence of the adverse behavioral and psychological impact of home confinement and social restrictions, effective measures are needed to be in place to mitigate their long-term effects on children and their mothers, especially those in the smart working condition.