ABSTRACT
STUDY OBJECTIVES: The aim of this mixed methods study was to gain an insight through qualitative and quantitative means into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with and without Tourette syndrome (TS). METHODS: Parents/guardians of children and adolescents with TS (n = 95; Mage = 11.2, SD = 2.68) and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 86; Mage = 10.7, SD = 2.8) in the UK and Ireland completed an online questionnaire examining sleep, with open-ended questions pertaining to their perceived impact of COVID-19 on the sleep of their children. Nine items from the SDSC were used to supplement qualitative data. RESULTS: A negative impact of the pandemic on the sleep of both groups was observed, including exacerbated tics, sleep deprivation, and anxiety, with particular disruption for children with TS. Parents of children with TS reported poorer sleep patterns than parents of TD children on the SDSC. Analyses showed that group and age predicted 43.8% of variance in sleep duration, F (4, 176) = 34.2, p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that sleep patterns of children with TS may be more impacted by the pandemic than the average child. Given that there are generally more sleep issues reported in children with TS, further research is warranted in relation to the sleep health of children with TS in a post-pandemic era. By identifying sleep issues potentially persisting after COVID-19, the true impact of the pandemic on the sleep of children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome may be ascertained.