Determining the relationship between sleep disturbances in children and parental stress during COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to determine the relationship between child sleep disturbances and parental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional web-based study was conducted between February and April 2021 among 409 parents residing in Turkey who had children between the ages of 6 and 16 years. Data were collected online using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). In the study, there was a significant relationship found between the mean scores of the SDSC and PSS (r = 0.499, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, family type, socioeconomic status, occupation, the presence of sleep problems in the child before the pandemic, and the total score of the PSS significantly affected the total score of the SDSC. The presence of sleep problems in the child before the pandemic was significantly associated with the total score of the PSS (p < 0.05). Approximately 3.9% of the children had sleep disturbances (at scores over 70 points) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, as the stress levels of parents increase, the rate of sleep disturbances in their children increases, and many demographic characteristics are associated with the occurrence of sleep disturbances in their children. It is important that parents do not reflect on their stress related to the pandemic and that their children maintain a normal sleep pattern whenever possible. School nurses should educate children and their parents about the importance of enough sleep and factors that contribute to inadequate sleep among children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• child
• parents
• stress
• sleep disturbance

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully would like to thank the parents participating in the research.

Author contributions

1.Study design: A.S., G.A., S.K.

2.Data collection: A.S., G.A., S.K.

3.Data analysis: G.A.

4. Study supervision: A.S., G.A., S.K.

5.Manuscript writing: A.S., G.A., S.K.

6. Critical revisions for important intellectual content: A.S., G.A., S.K.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

This study received 26 February 2021 dated and 03–16 numbered approval was taken from Erzincan Binali Yildirim University Human Research Ethics Committee.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.