Changes in adolescents’ sleep during COVID-19 outbreak reveal the inadequacy of early morning school schedules

OBJECTIVES: The forced closure of schools during the COVID-19 outbreak imposed on adolescents a new reality of home-schooling. This new situation has affected adolescent sleep patterns due to the absence of the pressure to wake up earlier induced by school times during pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the changes in sleep and napping habits in Brazilian adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A sample of 259 high school adolescents (mean age = 15.5 years) reported sleep and napping habits by means validated questionnaires in both baseline year (March-June 2019) and during COVID-19 lockdown (July 2020). RESULTS: The tendency to eveningness was higher and daytime sleepiness was reduced during the social isolation. Time in bed (TIB) increased by more than 2 hours and sleep onset time was delayed during the pandemic. More adolescents reported getting enough TIB during the pandemic. Moreover, sleepiness during remote classes was reduced compared to that reported during traditional classes one year before. The nap habit decreased during the pandemic compared to the baseline year. DISCUSSION: The lack of early wake-up pressure to attend school in the morning could explain the sleep improvements perceived during the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, parents, educators, and policy makers need to discuss more feasible school times for adolescents in order to implement these changes as soon as returning to presential/hybrid learning.