Impact of the new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on climateric women's health: websurvey

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted society: causing the collapse of health systems around the world, and also had a significant impact on the economy, personal care, mental health and the quality of life of the population. Few studies have been done about pandemic and the climacteric population, and the impact on quality of life and health. Our objective was to Investigate changes in the health and health care of climacteric women residing in Brazil during the pandemic period. Cross-sectional study with climacteric women aged between 40 and 70 years, residing in Brazil. The evaluation was carried out using a Google Docs electronic form with questions related to sociodemographic, clinical, gynecological data, treatments, access to health services and consultations, as well as changes in behavior. The Menopause Rating Scale - MRS was applied to assess climacteric symptoms, validated for Portuguese. Result(s): 419 women answered the questionnaire. More than 45% were between 51 and 60 years of age, 56.6% being married and residing in Brazilian capitals. 60% of participants reported weight gain during the pandemic. 50.8% of participants reported a decrease in the weekly practice of physical activity More than 80% reported worsening mental health during this period, and 66.1% had a change in their sleep pattern. More than half reported having difficulty accessing gynecological consultations. Women living in capital cities reported a greater increase in alcohol consumption (p=0.002). Food intake increased for 54.9%;the category of civil servant was associated with a significant increase in consumption in relation to other professions (p=0.038). Women whose family incomes changed during the pandemic had a higher prevalence of weight gain (p=0.033) and also had a higher occurrence of changes in sleep quality (72.6% vs. 61.5%;p=0.018). Women with a high school education had a higher occurrence of alterations in personal and health care outcomes (p<0.001). Conclusion(s): We observed an important reduction in the health care of climacteric women during the pandemic period. Changes in life habits, such as increased food consumption and reduced physical activity, were quite prevalent. There was a deterioration in mental health, with a high prevalence of anxiety symptoms and changes in sleep quality. Despite the attenuation of the pandemic, attention should be given to the health care of this population, as the changes may have repercussions for many years.Copyright © 2023

The Effects of Long-term Social Distancing on Sleep and Mood in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: School timings could influence teens' sleeping patterns by interrupting their sleep or the timing of light can shift their biological clock. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered teens' sleeping schedule making it important to analyze the effects of long-term social distancing on adolescents' sleep and mood. Objective(s): This study analyzes the effects of long-term social distancing, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on their sleeping patterns and mood. Method(s): In this cohort study, data from the 2018 - 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) were used to compare teens' sleep patterns in 2020 with those in 2018 - 2019. The primary outcomes of this study were the sleep duration and sleep time of adolescents throughout the week, between 2018 and 2019, and in 2020. The secondary outcomes were the teens' mood, health perception, and sleep satisfaction, including differences in total sleep time and sleep discrepancies between weekends and weekdays. Result(s): Around 58 - 63 thousand students were surveyed each year, and the participation rate was 94.9 - 95.6%. After exclusion, 132,839 teens participated in the survey. From 2018-2020, the height and body weight of the participants did not change. After adjusting for participants' sex and school year, it was found that more teens felt happy, fewer teens experienced sadness and desperation, and fewer teens had suicidal thoughts in 2020, compared with the previous two years. They also slept 10 minutes later (9.743 (95% confidence interval 7.954-11.530)), with wake-up times of 3 - 5 minutes later on weekdays (4.684 (3.449-5.919)). On weekends during social distancing, they slept 16 minutes later (15.721 (14.077-17.366)), with wake-up times of 12 minutes later (12.309 (10.393-14.225)). Although they slept five minutes less on weekdays (-5.059 (-6.817 to-3.301)) and three minutes less on weekends (-3.413 (-5.419 to-1.407)), their overall sleep satisfaction increased, and differences in sleep duration between weekdays and weekends decreased in 2020. Conclusion(s): During social distancing, the mood and sleep efficiency of teens improved. In the future, once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, online classes can be included in the curriculum of school systems to ensure healthy sleep patterns in teenagers.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).

Protocol for Preparing for Competitions in Different Time Zones

The pandemic affected all branches of the country's economy, all categories of services, but also performance sports. With it, competitions appeared postponed without a precise date or even totally canceled. In performance sports, a major role was played by the uncertainty of the biggest competition in an athlete's life, the Tokyo competition. It was a great challenge for the coach to organize his training periods, so as to bring the athletes in the best shape, but also for the doctors and the medical staff to work on an adequate recovery, to support the physical effort through the most well-rated supplements, always adapting to changes and not least for athletes to resist physically and mentally and to find the motivation to continue the routine to achieve their goal, that of reaching Tokyo.Copyright © 2022 Andreea-Elena Siminiceanu, published by Sciendo.

Assessment of Sleep Quality among Medical Students During the Covid- 19 Pandemic

Objective: To assess the sleep quality among medical students, comparing their sleep cycles during physical and online studies along with other factors associated with sleep patterns. Study Design: Cross-sectional Questionnaire based survey Place and Duration of Study: Department of Community Medicine, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences Taxila from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2020 Methodology: One hundred and forty seven students were surveyed in a time period of 1 month. The questionnaire included PSQI Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and other clinically validated questions. Students with known sleeping disorders were excluded from this survey. Result(s): There were 81 (55.1%) females and 65 (44.2%) males with mean age 20+/-1.4 years. Out of these 94(63.9%) were classified as "Poor Sleepers" and only 53 (36.1%) were "Good Sleepers". Poor sleep quality was associated with female gender (p<0.05), day-scholar residence status (p<0.054), excessive time required to sleep (p<0.00), excessive screen time usage (p<0.007), increased hours of study (p<0.089), experiencing trouble while driving, eating and socializing (p<0.002), lack of enthusiasm (p<0.000), unsatisfactory daily activities (p<0.000) and poor daytime alertness levels (p<0.360). 104 (70.7%) were aware of the effects of melatonin on sleep, only 51 (34.7%) admitted to have used coffee to stay awake at night. 98 (66.7%) subjects were pre-exam workers, 95 (64.6%) admitted not being able to wake up easily in the morning. Conclusion(s): The students and hostelites that used less screen time slept better. Excessive daytime tiredness was also a result of poor sleeping habits. Students who studied for longer periods of time and had difficulty waking up in the morning slept poorly. Poor sleepers also find it difficult to interact and are often unambitious about performing their daily menial tasks, as well as displeased with their daily activities. As a matter of fact, we deduce that sleep quality has unanticipated consequences for medical students' social and mental health.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Headache in Pediatric Migraine Patients at a Single Tertiary Center

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on children and adolescents with migraine. Method(s): This longitudinal cohort study enrolled children and adolescents with migraine from the Department of Pediatric Neurology at our hospital from January 2017 to June 2021. Self-re-ported data from individual headache diaries were used. The patients were questioned about their headache frequency and intensity, stress, physical activity, changes in mood and sleep, and their school and home lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (Ped-MIDAS) scoring system was applied to assess headache-related disability. Result(s): In total, 325 pediatric migraine patients (mean age 12.8+/-5.6 years, 62.5% female) were included in this study. The average monthly frequency of migraine headaches was 2.17+/-1.32 and 4.62+/-3.29 before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.001), respectively. The Ped-MIDAS score was obtained for 207 patients both before and during the pandemic, and the total score slightly increased from 13.8 to 14.7 points (P=0.295). Sixty patients (18.5%) showed significantly worsening migraine headaches. Younger age (P=0.017), mood deterioration (P<0.001), sleep problems (P<0.001), increased acute medication use (P=0.010), and larger changes in the Ped-MIDAS score (P=0.002) were significantly associated with worsening headache in the logis-tic regression analysis. Conclusion(s): Headache attacks in children and adolescents with migraine were more frequent during the COVID-19 pandemic than before it. Worsening headaches could be independently at-tributed to younger age, mood deterioration, and poor sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2022 Korean Child Neurology Society.

COVID-19: A Daily Dose of Yoga to Cope with Anxiety

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has undoubtedly created unbearable psy-chological pressure on our minds such as anxiety, fear, worry, changing sleep patterns, changing eating patterns, worsening of existing chronic or mental health conditions, etc. There is an urgent need for the adoption of an effective coping strategy. We propose that yoga-based intervention may aid in improving mental and physical health with its multi-faceted dimensions.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep patterns & associated factors among Bangladeshi wage earners during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

The economic vulnerability imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic induces stress on mental health of wage earners in Bangladesh which is largely unexplored. This evidence gap was addressed in this study aiming to evaluate the mental health difficulties among Bangladeshi wage earners by assessing the associated factors influencing anxiety, depressive symptoms and sleep patterns. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 707 individual Bangladeshi wage earners in May 2020. The questionnaire included information about sleep duration, the Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scales. The study revealed that anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with male sex, higher educational status, service holder occupation and lower monthly income (p ≤ 0.01). Fear of COVID-19 when working outside during the pandemic situation was inextricably linked with anxiety (AOR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.42-3.04) and depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.04-2.20). Respondents who were responsible to financially support their family experienced significantly decreased duration of sleep (ß = -0.68; 95% CI: -1.18 to -0.20). The results of this study provided novel evidence on psychological difficulties among Bangladeshi wage earners which calls for an in-depth and longitudinal evaluation and immediate low-intensity psychosocial interventions.

Changes in Sleep Pattern and Digital Media use During Covid-19 Lockdown

Objective: To find out an association between covid and sleep and how covid lockdown has affected the sleeping habits of the youth in Pakistan compared to pre-lockdown sleeping patterns. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration: Current research was conducted at HITEC (IMS-HITEC) Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila Cantt Pakistan from 5th may to 15th may 2020). Material(s) and Method(s): It was a quantitative study in which participants filled out an online survey form. The data was collected on Google forms shared through social media focusing on undergraduate individuals from 16 to 24 years of age to acquire a homogenous example of responders, since youth are more liable to digital media use and their routine is more prone to be affected by the lockdown. The participation rate was 98.2%. SPSS was used for the data entry and analysis purpose. The data obtained was compiled, tabulated and analysed statistically. Chi square test was used to check whether the variables yielded significant or insignificant results. Result(s): Out of a total of 100 participants, 60 (60%) were females and 40 (40%) were males. The mean age was 21 years and the participants were mostly university students. A set of questions were also asked to determine which social media apps the participants were increasingly using, most of the participants spent time on Instagram (68%) and YouTube (64%), while modest people spent time on Netflix (41%), Snapchat (30%) and Facebook (33%). Lesser participants spent time on TikTok (11%) and Skype/Zoom (25%). Practical Implications: The use of e-learning and other forms of social interaction are becoming increasingly significant in the education of our young people. The findings of the current research make it possible for us to evaluate the influence of lockdown measures on Pakistani population in light of previously published studies that were carried out during the same time period in other countries and continents. Conclusion(s): Participants in the lockdown reported spending more time in front of screens and suffering delayed sleep habits. It was found that risky behaviours were associated with increased screen screen time.. Copyright © 2022 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Sleep Patterns and Sleep Alignment in Remote Teams during COVID-19

Working remotely from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant shifts and disruptions in the personal and work lives of millions of information workers and their teams. We examined how sleep patterns-An important component of mental and physical health-relates to teamwork. We used wearable sensing and daily questionnaires to examine sleep patterns, affect, and perceptions of teamwork in 71 information workers from 22 teams over a ten-week period. Participants reported delays in sleep onset and offset as well as longer sleep duration during the pandemic. A similar shift was found in work schedules, though total work hours did not change significantly. Surprisingly, we found that more sleep was negatively related to positive affect, perceptions of teamwork, and perceptions of team productivity. However, a greater misalignment in the sleep patterns of members in a team predicted positive affect and teamwork after accounting for individual differences in sleep preferences. A follow-up analysis of exit interviews with participants revealed team-working conventions and collaborative mindsets as prominent themes that might help explain some of the ways that misalignment in sleep can affect teamwork. We discuss implications of sleep and sleep misalignment in work-from-home contexts with an eye towards leveraging sleep data to facilitate remote teamwork. © 2022 Owner/Author.

Relaxation of social time pressure promotes coalignment of daily fasting and sleep cycles

Objectives/Introduction: Sleep regulation in humans is tightly linked to social time pressure (STP) that assigns local time to meals, work, family time, and additional daily activities. The impact of the STP decrease on daily rest-activity cycles during COVID-19-mandated social restrictions (SR) has been studied epidemiologically by our and other research groups. These studies consistently showed that nocturnal sleep duration (SD) increased, social jetlag (SJL) decreased, and mid-sleep times on free days (MST, a proxy for chronotype) delayed during SRs. Here, we investigated in the Global Chrono Corona Survey (GCCS) dataset changes in the interrelationships between the temporal organization of daily sleep-wake and fasting parameters under regular, strict (before the SRs) and relaxed (during SR) STP in the general population. Method(s): The GCCS was conducted during the first wave of SRs between April 4 and May 6, 2020 in 40 countries. The final sample consisted of 7,517 respondents (68.2% females), who did not contract COVID-19 virus, and had been on average 32.7 +/- 9.1 days under SRs. Daily eating patterns were quantified in terms of fasting duration from the last to the first meal (FD) and its timing represented by the midfasting time (MFT). To assess the magnitude of fasting and sleep cycles (mis)alignment, we introduced two new factors: The difference in fasting and sleep duration (DELTAFDSD) and the difference between the two midpoints (DELTAMFMS). Result(s): Before SRs, sleep and fasting parameters showed multiple robust correlations, both in their timing (rho = 0.45), and their duration (rho = 0.25). DELTAMFMS correlated negatively with MST (chronotype), indicating that the later chronotype the larger fasting-sleep misalignment. DELTAMFMS correlated also with the SJL (rho = -0.47). During SRs, FD became longer by 41 min, mainly driven by later breakfast times. SD increased on average by 15 min. Mean DELTAFDSD increased by 15 min, while DELTAMFMS remained unchanged. The correlation between MST and MFT was substantially strengthened (rho = 0.65);MST became correlated with FD (rho = 0.21). Conclusion(s): During weeks-long reduced social time pressure, induced by social restrictions, sleep and fasting parameters became more tightly linked. Relaxed STP may promote co-alignment of daily fasting and sleep cycles and benefit overall health.

Cloud Nine: A Population Study of Sleep During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affect sleep patterns. To do this, we used the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ10) tool among the general US population. Method(s): A Qualtrics survey containing the FOSQ10 questions and additional demographics was created for Amazon MTurk, a crowdsourcing platform. Respondents aged 18 years and older completed the survey anonymously in October 2021. Two-way analysis of variance and 2-tailed t tests were used for analyses. Result(s): A total of 2474 responses were included. The 3 most prevalent sleep disorders were snoring (48% of respondents), insomnia (11% of respondents), and sleep apnea/mild/ moderate/severe (6% of respondents). The 3 most common services and/or procedures that people indicated interest in were sleep study (32% of respondents), nasal appliance (28% of respondents), or oral appliance (22% of respondents). The 3 most common social media platforms used before bed were Facebook (48% of respondents), Instagram (47% of respondents), and YouTube (39% of respondents). Individuals who had COVID-19 had a lower average FOSQ10 score than those who did not (27.0+/-6.4 [SD] vs 29.2+/-7.2), P<.0001. Individuals who snore had a lower average FOSQ10 score than those who do not (27.6+/-6.6 vs 29.4+/-7.4), P<.0001. Individuals who had a romantic partner or family member complain about their sleeping pattern (restlessness, snoring, etc) had a lower average FOSQ10 score than those who do not (27.1+/-6.5 vs 30.0+/-7.3), P<.0001. Individuals who have seen an otolaryngologist about snoring or any other sleep-related problems had a lower average FOSQ10 score than those who have not (26.7+/-6.0 vs 29.4+/-7.4), P<.0001. Conclusion(s): A higher score on the FOSQ10 was found to be associated with better sleep outcomes. It is an appropriate tool for assessing functional outcomes of sleep in the US population and can be used by otolaryngologists to better understand and treat patients with impaired sleep.

Overview of Lifestyle and Anthropometry of Students of the Faculty of Medicine Airlangga University During COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide, forcing governments to implement quarantines as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus. Quarantine causes changes in lifestyle and anthropometry status among communities. Objective: To describe the lifestyle and anthropometric status of medical students batch 2018 FM UA during the pandemic. Methods: This was a descriptive study using online questionnaires from September 2020 to February 2021. Results: There were variations in students’ anthropometry. Students’ average height is 161.110 cm, the average weight is 60.308 cm, the average body mass index is 23.193 cm, the average upper arm circumference is 27.846 cm, and the average abdominal circumference is 79.621 cm. Furthermore, 145 respondents (81.9%) stated that they experienced changes in their lifestyle during the pandemic. A total of 89 respondents (50.3%) continued to exercise and the other 88 respondents (49.7%) did not. Regarding the sleep pattern, 108 respondents (61%) had quite good sleep quality and 50 respondents (28.2%) had quite poor sleep quality. For the food consumption pattern, 46 respondents (26%) ate more sweet foods. Furthermore, 156 respondents (88.1%) did sedentary activities, with 77 respondents (43.5%) doing sedentary behavior for more than 6 hours a day. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the anthropometric status of medical students batch 2018 FMUA varied;and tend to maintain their physical activity, have quite good sleep quality, prefer eating sweet foods, and do a sedentary behavior for a longer duration

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on sleep patterns, emotions, and behaviors of children and adolescents in Taiwan.

Background: The lockdown in May 2021 was the first and only lockdown implemented in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The epidemic in Taiwan has been maintained under relatively better control and this study aimed to examine the impact of the lockdown on sleep and emotional and behavior disturbances in children and adolescents in Taiwan. Material and methods: Participants over 6 years old were recruited retrospectively from a cohort study, and their parents completed questionnaires including the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham-IV Teacher and Parent Rating Scale (SNAP-IV), and the function assessment. A total of 217 children and adolescents whose parents completed questionnaires during both the lockdown period and the pre-lockdown period were included. We used paired t-test and independent t test; to analyze the differences between the lockdown and pre-lockdown periods and between different subgroups. Results: The mean age of all participants was 11.87 ± 3.97 years, with 69.6% male. The results of CSHQ indicated that our participants had significantly increased total sleep time (p = 0.000), more sleep onset delay (p = 0.011), fewer sleep duration problems (p = 0.029), less parasomnia (p = 0.018), fewer sleep breathing problems (p = 0.028), and less daytime sleepiness (p = 0.000) during the lockdown, especially males and children. We observed trends but no significant changes of all participants in CBCL and SNAP during the lockdown. The change of the inattention index reached a significant level between children and adolescents (p 2 = 0.017). The results of the functional assessment showed more interferences in home living (p = 0.021) of all participants, especially males (p 1 = 0.002). Conclusions: The lockdown significantly impacted children and adolescents' sleep and functioning. We also observed trends of increased emotion, behavior and inattention problems, and significantly increased interference in home living. Male gender and younger age may be associated factors for sleep and functional disturbances of the lockdown.

Impact of School Closure on Children'S Sleep Pattern During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: School closure is one of the main global health policies performed worldwide during the coronavir us di sease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Despite all of the advantages, there may be some risks for children who are quarantined. This study aimed to objectively measure and compares the sleep patterns of Hong Kong school students before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: Baseline assessment was performed before the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. The sleep pattern was recorded by a physical activity monitor (Actigraph wGT3X-BT, Pensacola, Florida, USA). The follow-up assessment was conducted in early 2020. Findings: In total, 718 students were collected in the baseline . Sub sequently 1 40 students joined t he reassessment between March and April 2020. Analysis of sleep timing shows that 98.0% primary students, 78.0% secondary students and 79.9% primary school students and 58.8% secondary school students go to bed before midnight before and after the outbreak, respectively (p<0.001). Mean sleep duration (hours) was 6.81 (0.62) and 8.09 (0.07) at baseline and during the outbreak, respectively. The differences in the mean sleep features for total sleep time, sleep fragmentation index and sleep fragmentation were 0.92 (1.64), 1.64 (6.95) and 2.49 (9.18), respectively. The overall sleep quality was poorer as evidenced by delays in bedtime and wake up time, increased duration in bed, longer sleep latency, increases in the movement and fragmentation indices. Conclusion: This exceptional longitudinal study reported objective data on the change in sleep patterns before and during the COVID-19 outbreak with school closures.

COVID-19 and Healthy Habitsin Missouri Families

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures have undermined several healthy habits that families had or were establishing prior to the start of the pandemic. This study looks at those changes through online survey to Missouri families to evaluate how COVID-19 has impacted healthy lifestyle habits in Missouri families, along with degree of social distancing and any associations in changes in employment, food scarcity issues, and health concerns. Methods: An online survey (through RedCap) was conducted during spring to summer 2020 evaluate changes during the time of initial lock down and social distancing, for families living in Missouri with children ages 2-18 years. The survey was advertised on social media and in local clinics to gather participants' responses. Results: A total of 298 responses were received from the survey. 58% of respondents noted a change in employment (35% stated now working from home, 18% noted decrease in work hours, and 5% noted they had been laid off or lost job completely). While there were no overall statistically significant changes in healthy habits during the initial lock down period in spring-summer 2020 noted, a subset analysis noted that when comparing those with a change in employment to those without a change in employment, Missouri families did note several statistically significant changes in their healthy habits. Those with a change in employment were more likely to note a decrease in their child(ren)'s physical activity, report an increase in screen time (p = 0.044), are more likely to report noticing family members eating between meals or snacking more (p = 0.004), and are also more likely to report worrying about their child(ren)'s nutrition (p = 0.049), and are more likely to note changes in their child(ren)'s sleep patterns (p = 0.021) during the pandemic. These groups were not significantly different in their self-reported income, the degree to which they socially distanced, their grocery store frequency, food scarcity, or how much they were eating out. Conclusion: Our study of Missouri families and healthy-habit maintenance during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that overall healthy habits were maintained during the initial months of COVID-19. However, a subset analysis comparing those who reported a change in employment vs. those who did not report a change in employment revealed that those who experienced a change in employment were more likely to report changes in healthy habits such as amount of screen time and physical activity, snacking between meals, changes in sleep, and overall concern for their child(ren)'s nutrition. This study highlights that major life events may affect healthy habit changes and families' abilities to change healthy habits during these events and can help pediatricians understand the impact of major life changes for families on healthy habit development and maintenance.

Psychosocial outcomes, sleep, and substance use among male cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Cancer survivors may experience impacts on their psychosocial health and sleep quality due to the cancer diagnosis and severity as well as treatments. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted the lives of cancer survivors, including those who are in treatment and those who are living cancer-free. A better understanding of psychosocial behaviors, sleep, and substance use is of timely importance. Aim: To better understand the individual-level psychosocial outcomes, sleep patterns, and substance use of cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and compared to individuals without a history of cancer. Methods: Participants of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, enrolled since 1986, were asked to self-report health behaviors during the pandemic on three web-based questionnaires administered during the COVID-19 pandemic (baseline COVID: October 2020, first follow-up: January 2021, second follow-up: April 2021). Psychosocial presentations, sleep patterns, and substance use were analyzed descriptively between cancer survivors and individuals without a history of cancer. Substance use and non-continuous sleep outcomes (e.g., trouble falling asleep) were recoded dichotomously and assessed via logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence Intervals (CI). Continuous psychosocial outcomes and sleep outcomes (e.g., hours slept last night) were analyzed via linear regression. Models were adjusted for covariates such as age, race, marital status, living arrangement, employment status, and other health information, as appropriate. Results: Of 4,416 men who completed the baseline COVID-19 questionnaire, 962 were cancer survivors (after excluding those with non-melanoma skin cancer). Poor sleep quality was prevalent for all eligible men (median age: 78 years);34% reported trouble falling asleep, 74% woke during the night, 50% woke too early without getting back to sleep, 59% needed a nap most or some of the time. Cancer survivors were significantly more likely to wake early and not get back to sleep (OR = 1.19, (1.00, 1.41)) and sleep a greater amount in the past week (+0.14 (0.03, 0.25) hours per day) compared to those without a history of cancer. Compared to those without a history of cancer, survivors were more likely to present with lower psychological wellbeing, higher post-traumatic stress, and higher stress and lower gratitude. Across all men, healthful changes in alcohol (decreased) use were observed at baseline (10% of men) and second follow-up (15% of men). At the first follow-up, cancer survivors were at significantly higher odds to regularly use CBD products compared to individuals without a history of cancer (OR: 1.63 (1.03, 2.55)). Conclusion: Among male cancer survivors, there were significant impacts in sleep patterns and substance use, and further understanding of the effects of such differences is needed.

Quantitative and qualitative features of dreaming activity during the pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has crucially influenced daily habits, mental health, and sleep. Several findings reveal that dreams are affected by waking experiences and sleep patterns. The lockdown could have provoked strong modifications in dreaming activity. This study aimed to assess dream features during the Italian lockdown. Furthermore, we also investigated the impact of the end of COVID-19 confinement on dream activity through a longitudinal investigation. Materials and Methods: We used a web survey to collect demographic, clinical, sleep, and dream data during the lockdown. The sample included 1091 participants. After filling out the survey, 90 subjects participated in the longitudinal protocol lasting two weeks: (a) the first week (April 28–May 4) of full lockdown;and (b) the second week (May 5–May 11) of easing of restrictions. Participants were asked to record at home their dream experiences and complete a sleep-dream diary each morning. Results: Results obtained from the first protocol showed an increase in quantitative and qualitative dream features during the lockdown, compared to a pre-lockdown period. Higher dream frequency and specific qualitative features were found in females and individuals with poor sleep quality, nocturnal disruptive behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Most of the dream features collected during the lockdown were predicted by age, gender, depressive symptoms, presence of other people at home, and territorial area. Sleep duration and several sleep quality indexes were the best predictors of dream variables. During the lockdown, dreams were also characterized by increased negative emotions, particularly frequent in females, younger adults, and people with poor sleep quality, nocturnal disruptive behaviors, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Regarding the longitudinal protocol, the analyses showed that participants had higher numbers of awakenings, lower ease of falling asleep, higher dream recall, and lucid dream frequency during lockdown than post-lockdown. Subjects reported more dreams, including “being in crowded places” during post-lockdown than lockdown. Conclusions: Our results confirm the strong influence of the pandemic on dreaming, supporting both the continuity-hypothesis between waking experience and sleep mentation and the view of a key influence of sleep patterns on dreaming. The poorer sleep quality during lockdown is consistent with previous studies. The relationship between traumatic events and dream recall frequency supports the idea of the pandemic as “collective trauma”. Moreover, we hypothesized that the greater lucid dreams frequency during confinement could reflect the attempt to cope with the waking pandemic experiences. The crowded places into dream scenarios during the second week of our protocol are also consistent with the continuity-hypothesis: the possibility to access places frequented by other people could represent a relevant experience after a long period of confinement. Finally, we believe that investigations on COVID-19 infected subjects experiencing the long-COVID-19 syndrome should be carried out since preliminary findings on COVID-19 patients showed strong associations between increased nightmares and the infection severity. This evidence suggests that the more that people were affected by COVID-19, the greater the impact on dream activity and quality of life.

Impairment of sleep in children with cri-duchat syndrome and autism spectrum disorder during the covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: Sleep complaints are common in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, little is known about sleep alterations in children with cri du chat syndrome (CDC) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to the social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To assess alterations in sleep quality and its associated parameters before and after quarantine resulting from COVID-19, comparing the results between CDC, ASD or neurotypical children. Methods: Sleep was investigated in 53 children with CDC and 106 with ASD using an adaptation of the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ), assessing sleep patterns both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were evaluated in comparison to 160 neurotypical (NT) children. Results: Children with CDC and ASD already had higher chances of needing parental assistance to fall asleep, taking more than 30min to fall asleep and having a wake after sleep onset time (WASO) >30min when comparing to neurotypical children in the moment preceding quarantine. Having CDC significantly increased the odds of having awakenings during the night. During quarantine, the proportion of children sleeping in their own bedrooms had decreased and the odds of awakening during the night had increased in all groups. Children with CDC and ASD had significantly higher odds of taking more than 30min to fall asleep. The chance of having a WASO >30min increased in children with ASD but decreased in CDC ones. The quarantine period statistically increased the odds ratio of children having a sleep latency of >30min by nearly 5-fold for all groups. Conclusion: The CDC group presented worse sleep parameters overall, even before quarantine. In both the CDC and ASD group worse sleep indicators were found during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sleeping environment and sleep patterns of university students during the covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: The social distancing imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic caused changes in routines and affected the biological rhythm, especially among young adults. Objective: To identify the sleeping environment and sleep patterns of students at a Public University located in the Midwest region of Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Crosssectional study with sample derived from the project: mental health, nutritional care and sleep pattern of the university community during the covid-19 pandemic, conducted with university students of both genders who answered an online questionnaire about the sleeping environment and sleep patterns collected in 2021. Results: 106 students participated in the study, with a higher prevalence of females, 71.1% (95%CI 62.3-80.2) sleep alone and in a noisy dormitory, at room temperature without controlled air conditioning and use electronics at bedtime, 49.1% (95%CI 38.7-58.5) use electronic devices with an average duration of 01h07, 61.3% (95%CI 51.9-69.8) of these students reported having fragmented sleep, 45.3% (95%CI 35.8-54.7) with occurrence at least once a night. Conclusion: The Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted the sleep patterns and the sleeping environment, considered alarming for this vulnerable populace.

Relationship between the application of sleep hygiene measures and the perception of sleep by parents of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Sleep is the result of reversible changes in the behavioral and physiological spheres, associated with the modification of brain activities, being an important mechanism for physical restoration, memory consolidation and learning, mood regulation and modulation of the immune system. Sleep habits are affected by stimuli and interferences of daily life, especially in a COVID-19 pandemic situation, so it is essential to apply sleep hygiene measures to improve sleep patterns, including having a regular time to sleep and wake up, dim lighting in the periods before bedtime, manage stress and use relaxation techniques. Objective: To assess the relationship between the application of sleep hygiene measures and the perception of sleep quality by parents of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, carried out using an online form sent to parents/guardians (over 18 years old) of children and adolescents of both sexes, aged between 4 and 17 years old, by convenience, in the period from October 28, 2020 to December 7, 2020. The analysis of the application of sleep hygiene measures took into account the application of 8 or more sleep hygiene measures by parents/guardians, among the 14 described in the online questionnaire. For the questioning about the perception of parents/guardians regarding the quality of sleep of children, a scale of 0 to 10 was adopted, considering from 0 to 5 for perception of poor sleep quality, and from 6 to 10 for perception of regular or good sleep. The distribution of the dependent variable according to the independent ones was verified using the Chi-square test, considering 95% CI. Results: The sample was composed of 532 children and adolescents of both sexes, mean age 9.7 (± 3.8 years), with a predominance of female sex (51.9%), residing in Rio Grande do Sul (63.7%), aged between 6 and 13 years (60.2%). It was observed that 83.3% of the parents/ guardians evaluated perceived the sleep of children and adolescents as regular or good. Of these, 87.1% applied 8 or more sleep hygiene measures, proving the positive relationship between the application of sleep hygiene measures and the perception of sleep quality (p 0.001). Conclusion: The study data allowed us to analyze how the application of sleep hygiene measures in children and adolescents caused positive outcomes in the sleep pattern, thus demonstrating the benefits that these actions have on the physiological development of children.