Maternal-Reported Sleep Health for Kindergarteners During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Sleep Health
• COVID-19 Pandemic Impact
• Early Childhood Development

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted daily life, including children's routines.
• Understanding kindergarteners' sleep health during this period is crucial for developmental outcomes.
• Previous research has not fully captured sleep patterns in this demographic during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the sleep health of kindergarteners during the first full school year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-21).
• To examine variations in sleep health based on schooling format, maternal employment, and sociodemographic factors.
• To identify potential areas for support for families experiencing sleep disruptions.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing a maternal-report survey with 109 participants.
• Descriptive statistics were computed for sleep timing, duration, efficiency, daytime alertness, and behaviors.
• Analysis included examining differences based on schooling format, maternal employment changes, and sociodemographics.

Main Results:

• 49% of children had late weekend bedtimes (>9:00 PM) and 19% had late weekday bedtimes.
• Most children achieved adequate sleep durations (average 10:46 weekdays, 10:51 weekends).
• Approximately one-third experienced sleep disturbances or impairments; differences noted by schooling format, race/ethnicity, and income.

Conclusions:

• Kindergarteners exhibited varied sleep patterns during the pandemic, with notable late bedtimes but generally adequate duration.
• Sleep disturbances were prevalent in about one-third of children, warranting attention.
• Early childhood professionals should assess and support families facing sleep challenges due to pandemic-related disruptions.