The impact of lockdown on sleep patterns of children and adolescents with ADHD

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The current study examined the impact of home confinement (lockdown) due to the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep patterns of children and adolescents with ADHD.METHODS: Nine hundred ninety-two parents of children and adolescents with ADHD filled out an anonymous online survey through the ADHD family association website. The survey investigated the sleep patterns and disturbances (using a modified version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children) and screen exposure time before and during the lockdown.RESULTS: During the lockdown, 59.3% of children and 69.4% of adolescents with ADHD reported a change of bedtime with significant increase of ADHD patients that went to sleep at 11pm or later. Sleep duration, in contrast, resulted in two opposing processes with more children and adolescent sleeping either less than 6 hours/night or 10-11 hours/night. Among children and adolescents, respectively, 19.9% and 22% slept less than they did before lockdown, while 21.4% and 27.4% slept more hours. Bedtime delay and decreased sleep duration were associated with an increase in the screen time exposure. Moreover, ADHD patients reported an increase in sleep disturbances when compared to previous condition, including mainly difficulties falling asleep, anxiety at bedtime, night awakenings, nightmares and daytime sleepiness.CONCLUSIONS: The lockdown impacted on sleep-wake rhythms by strengthening the maladaptive sleep patterns reported in usual life conditions in ADHD children