IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i5p4386-d1084294.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sleep Disturbances and Mental Well-Being of Preschool Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela León Rojas

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico)

  • Fabiola Castorena Torres

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico)

  • Salomon Alvarado Ramos

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico)

  • Alfredo del Castillo Morales

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico)

  • Julieta Rodríguez-de-Ita

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico
    Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Hospital San José, TecSalud, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico)

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic confinement caused changes in families and children’s routines worldwide. Studies conducted at the beginning of the pandemic have examined the harmful effects of these changes on mental health, including sleep disturbances. As sleep is essential for optimal childhood development, this study was designed to determine preschool-aged (3–6 years old) children’s sleep parameters and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Using a cross-sectional design, a survey was applied to parents of preschool children, inquiring about their children’s confinement status, routine changes, and electronics use. The parents responded to the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to assess children’s sleep and mental well-being. To provide objective sleep data, the children wore wrist actigraphy for seven days. Fifty-one participants completed the assessment. The children’s mean age was 5.2 years, and the prevalence of sleep disturbances was 68.6%. The use of electronic tablets in the bedroom near bedtime and symptoms of mental health deterioration (i.e., emotional distress and behavioral difficulties) were associated with sleep disturbances and their severity. The COVID-19 pandemic’s confinement-related routine changes greatly impacted preschool children’s sleep and well-being. We recommend establishing age-tailored interventions to manage children at higher risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela León Rojas & Fabiola Castorena Torres & Salomon Alvarado Ramos & Alfredo del Castillo Morales & Julieta Rodríguez-de-Ita, 2023. "Sleep Disturbances and Mental Well-Being of Preschool Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4386-:d:1084294
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4386/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4386/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicolas Aguilar-Farias & Marcelo Toledo-Vargas & Sebastian Miranda-Marquez & Andrea Cortinez-O'Ryan & Carlos Cristi-Montero & Fernando Rodriguez-Rodriguez & Pia Martino-Fuentealba & Anthony D. Okely &, 2020. "Sociodemographic Predictors of Changes in Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep among Toddlers and Preschoolers in Chile during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Royce Anders & Florian Lecuelle & Clément Perrin & Swann Ruyter & Patricia Franco & Stéphanie Huguelet & Benjamin Putois, 2021. "The Interaction between Lockdown-Specific Conditions and Family-Specific Variables Explains the Presence of Child Insomnia during COVID-19: A Key Response to the Current Debate," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci & Oswald D. Kothgassner & Thomas Wenzel & Andreas Goreis & Anthony Chen & Veysi Ceri & Zeliha Özlü-Erkilic, 2020. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being of Young People Living in Austria and Turkey: A Multicenter Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-12, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna Brzęk & Markus Strauss & Fabian Sanchis-Gomar & Roman Leischik, 2021. "Physical Activity, Screen Time, Sedentary and Sleeping Habits of Polish Preschoolers during the COVID-19 Pandemic and WHO’s Recommendations: An Observational Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Alberto Forte & Massimiliano Orri & Martina Brandizzi & Cecilia Iannaco & Paola Venturini & Daniela Liberato & Claudia Battaglia & Isabel Nöthen-Garunja & Maria Vulcan & Asja Brusìc & Lauro Quadrana &, 2021. "“My Life during the Lockdown”: Emotional Experiences of European Adolescents during the COVID-19 Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-12, July.
    3. Lea Rossi & Nick Behme & Christoph Breuer, 2021. "Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Natália Molleri & Saint Clair Gomes Junior & Daniele Marano & Andrea Zin, 2023. "Survey of the Adequacy of Brazilian Children and Adolescents to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-11, May.
    5. Zeliha Özlü-Erkilic & Oswald D. Kothgassner & Thomas Wenzel & Andreas Goreis & Anthony Chen & Veysi Ceri & Aylin Fakhr Mousawi & Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci, 2021. "Does the Progression of the COVID-19 Pandemic Have an Influence on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Young People? A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Shu-Yu Cheng & Hsia-Ling Tai & Tsung-Teng Wang, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Fundamental Motor Skills: A Study for the Taiwanese Preschoolers Teachers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(18), pages 1-12, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4386-:d:1084294. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.