Increase in the Number and Duration of Sleep Episodes During Class After Reopening of Schools Following Closure due to COVID-19.

Sleep is important for the well-being of school-aged children. Almost all schools in Hyogo prefecture in Japan were closed from April 7 to May 31, 2020, owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The pandemic restrictions resulted in the disruption of the sleep routines of children. The number of children who experienced sleepiness in class after school closure increased. The number of children who visited our hospital 1 year before and after the closure was 208 (11.73 ± 3.24 years of age) and 155 (11.45 ± 3.30 years), respectively. The number of chief complaints of sleep-related symptoms at the first visits showed no significant difference between the two time periods. The percentage of patients who slept during class increased (but not significantly) after the school closure. However, the mean number and duration of sleep episodes during class significantly increased from 0.31 ± 0.76 to 1.04 ± 1.14 episodes/day and from 15.8 ± 38.6 to 45.7 ± 46.9 min/day (each P < 0.001) before and after school closure, respectively. The total number of patients in our hospital with the primary central disorders of hypersomnolence, i.e., narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and Kleine-Levin syndrome, and the number of patients with insufficient sleep syndrome after the school closure significantly increased compared with those before closure (P = 0.034 and 0.048, respectively). School closure was associated with an increased incidence of sleeping during class; therefore, maintaining a stable daily routine for children with sleep disorders could have an alleviating effect.

Pfizer/BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a potential trigger for the development of narcolepsy: a case report.

Narcolepsy is a rare condition in Israel. Currently, the incidence of narcolepsy following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in Israel is unknown. We are reporting a case report of a 51-year-old woman of Ashkenazi Jewish descent who was evaluated for complaints of excessive daytime sleepiness and relative functional decline that immediately followed receipt of the Pfizer/BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Evaluation of patient-reported data with polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test was consistent with narcolepsy with cataplexy, meeting the criteria for a diagnosis of type 1 narcolepsy. Further investigation included human leukocyte antigen testing. Prior studies have demonstrated genetic, immunological, and environmental factors associated with narcolepsy following other vaccinations. This case is a valuable contribution to the literature as there are no prior reports of type 1 narcolepsy following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in the State of Israel. CITATION: Mahamid A, Bornstein RJ, Amir H. Pfizer/BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a potential trigger for the development of narcolepsy: a case report. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(10):2503-2506.