COVID-19 lockdown – Are Austrians finally able to compensate their sleep debt?

The study aimed to explore chronotype-specific effects of two versus four consecutive morning or night shifts on sleep-wake behavior. Sleep debt and social jetlag (a behavioral proxy of circadian misalignment) were estimated from sleep diary data collected for 5 weeks in a within-subject field study of 30 rotating night shift workers (29.9 ± 7.3 years, 60% female). Mixed models were used to examine whether effects of shift sequence length on sleep are dependent on chronotype, testing the interaction between sequence length (two vs. four) and chronotype (determined from sleep diaries). Analyses of two versus four morning shifts showed no significant interaction effects with chronotype. In contrast, increasing the number of night shifts from two to four increased sleep debt in early chronotypes, but decreased sleep debt in late types, with no change in intermediate ones. In early types, the higher sleep debt was due to accumulated sleep loss over four night shifts. In late types, sleep duration did not increase over the course of four night shifts, so that adaptation is unlikely to explain the observed lower sleep debt. Late types instead had increased sleep debt after two night shifts, which was carried over from two preceding morning shifts in this schedule. Including naps did not change the findings. Social jetlag was unaffected by the number of consecutive night shifts. Our results suggest that consecutive night shifts should be limited in early types. For other chronotypes, working four night shifts might be a beneficial alternative to working two morning and two night shifts. Studies should record shift sequences in rotating schedules.

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Reply to Dr. Horne's letter to the editor titled “Sleep debt – Where is the answer – In or outside the laboratory?

Biological Psychology ◽

10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.03.007 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 87 (2) ◽

pp. 316

Author(s):

Mathias Basner

Keyword(s):

Letter To The Editor ◽

Sleep Debt

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The COVID-19 Lockdown and Changes in Routine-Oriented Lifestyle Behaviors and Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia in South Africa

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2020-0863 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Jonathan P. Davy ◽

Karine Scheuermaier ◽

Laura C. Roden ◽

Candice J. Christie ◽

Alison Bentley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Exercise Time ◽

South Africans ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Sleep Timing ◽

Sleep Debt ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Impact ◽

Habitual Routines

Background: The authors assessed the impact of lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on routine-oriented lifestyle behaviors and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia in South Africans. Methods: In this observational study, 1048 adults (median age = 27 y; n = 767 females; n = 473 students) responded to an online survey on work, exercise, screen, alcohol, caffeine and sleep behaviors, depression, anxiety, and insomnia before and during lockdown. Comparisons were made between males and females, and students and nonstudents. Results: During lockdown, males reported larger reductions in higher intensity exercise and alcohol use than females, while depressive symptoms increased more among females, more of whom also reported poorer sleep quality. Students demonstrated larger delays in work and sleep timing, greater increases in sitting, screen, sleep duration, napping, depression and insomnia and larger decreases in work hours, exercise time, and sleep regularity compared with nonstudents. Conclusions: Students experienced more changes in their routine-oriented behaviors than nonstudents, coupled with larger increases in depression and insomnia. The dramatic change in their work and sleep timing suggests habitual routines that are at odds with their chronotype, with their sleep changes during lockdown likely reflecting “catch-up” sleep in response to accumulated sleep debt under usual routines.

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Disparities in Sleep Health among Adolescents: The Role of Sex, Age, and Migration

Sleep Disorders ◽

10.1155/2020/5316364 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Maria Jose Miguez ◽

Diego Bueno ◽

Caroline Perez

Keyword(s):

Sleep Disturbances ◽

First Generation ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Sleep Debt ◽

Adjusted Logistic Regression ◽

Cultural Ecological ◽

And Migration

Background. Disparities in sleep disturbances have been described in adults; nevertheless, among adolescents, data have yielded conflicting results. Therefore, analyses of our cohort study of 500 urban, normally developed Hispanic adolescents (10–18 years), aim to determine if rates of sleep debt differ between: (a) male and female adolescents, (b) US-born Hispanics and first-generation immigrant ethnic counterparts, and (c) specific activities that these teens trade for sleep. Participants’ weekday and weekend sleep patterns, along with the reasons for sleeping less than the recommended hours were recorded. Standardized surveys were used to gather information regarding sociodemographics, migration, acculturation, and medical history. Using the criteria set forth by the National Sleep Foundation, analyses indicated that sleep deprivation is a pervasive problem, with 75% in the preadolescents and 45% of the late adolescents exhibiting sleep problems. Females slept on average at least one hour less per day than their male counterparts (7 vs. 8 hours). The sleep problems were rooted in several overlapping causes, including use of technology, video games, studying, and employment. Nevertheless, reasons for sleep loss differed by gender and by immigrant status. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression analyses showed that females, US-born teens, and preadolescents had higher odds of being sleep deprived. Pediatricians and sleep experts should be aware of gender-specific causes and responses of sleep problems. Cultural ecological frameworks need to be considered, and clearly indicate that findings may not generalize to youth from other cultural backgrounds.

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