Text: Deborah Fast
In our study, we examined the sleep and executive functions of preschool children during the COVID-19 quarantine in April 2020 as well as November 2020. We wanted to explore the question of whether worsened sleep in children affects executive function outcomes 6 months later. We hypothesised that acutely increased nocturnal waking and longer sleep duration would be related to reduced executive functions.
The COVID-19 pandemic had had a significant impact on mental health, leading to increased rates of depression and anxiety in many countries. Quarantine strategies further negatively impacted mental health, with up to 50% of the population experiencing low to moderate mental disorders. The younger population, including adolescents and school-aged children, was particularly affected, with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms and impaired cognitive development.
Changes in sleep behaviour in adults and children were also noted. This acute worsening of sleep increased the risk of mental health problems during the quarantine period. The finding of worsening in sleep in preschool children was alarming, as sleep plays a significant role in brain maturation. The recovery processes during sleep are particularly important for the development of critical executive functions that regulate thoughts and actions. Although limited studies have examined the relationship between sleep and executive functions during the preschool years, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to examine the developmental consequences of altered sleep conditions in a controlled, experimental-observational study design.
Data from 412 preschool children were collected and a study population of 45 children aged 36-72 months was analysed. The children’s sleep and executive functions were measured with a questionnaire.
The study found that the children’s sleep quality was significantly worse during the quarantine period than before quarantine. In addition, there was a significant decline in global executive function and inhibitory self-control at the November 2020 follow-up survey. However, there was no decline in flexibility and metacognition. The study also found that individual changes in sleep behaviour during the quarantine phase predicted executive function; in particular, changes in nocturnal wakefulness predicted a lower index of inhibitory self-control later. The study found no significant relationship between preschoolers’ sleep patterns before the quarantine phase and executive functions 6 months later. Consideration of other factors showed that higher caregiver stress levels predicted reduced flexibility. However, changes in children’s sleep behaviour remained a significant predictor of executive functions, even after controlling for other factors.
Our findings confirm that preschool children’s sleep behaviour is a key target for protecting cognitive developmental processes under challenging conditions. Overall, our study supports the assumption that good sleep quality serves as a protective factor for cognitive maturation during child development.
Reference:
Sleep as a protective factor of children’s executive functions: A study during COVID-19 confinement, Matthieu Beaugrand, Christophe Muehlematter, Andjela Markovic,Valérie Camos, Salome Kurth
Thanks to Charlein Gracia for picture on unsplash