Impact of COVID-19 on serum melatonin levels and sleep parameters in children

ABSTRACT

Background/aim: This study aimed to analyze the serum melatonin levels and changes in sleep patterns in pediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and methods: This study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Serum melatonin levels and sleep parameters of children with the diagnosis of COVID-19 who had mild and moderate disease (i.e., COVID-19 group) were compared with those of children admitted with non-COVID-19 nonspecific upper respiratory tract infection (i.e., control group). The sleep disturbance scale for children (SDSC) questionnaire was applied to the participants> primary caregivers to analyze their sleep patterns at present and six months before symptom onset and to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on sleep patterns. Results: The entire study cohort consisted of 106 patients. The COVID-19 group included 80 patients, while the control group consisted of 26 patients. The mean serum melatonin levels were 136.72 pg/mL and 172.63 pg/mL in the COVID-19 and control groups, respectively (p = 0.16). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of 6 subcategories of the SDSC questionnaire regarding the present time and 6 months before symptom onset. The total SDSC scores were also similar in two different evaluation time points described above (p = 0.99) Conclusions: We conclude that COVID-19 did not impact the sleep parameters of children. Serum melatonin levels of all patients were higher than the reference range; however, they were higher in the non-COVID-19 patient group than the COVID-19 group. Since serum melatonin levels were higher than the reference values in children with COVID-19, and this disease is significantly less morbid in children, melatonin may have protective effects against COVID-19.