Chronobiology international
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Emergency responders often credit 'adrenaline' (i.e. sympathetic activity) as the reason they respond quickly upon waking, unimpaired by sleep inertia. Movement upon waking may promote sympathetic activity in this population. ⋯ When compared to sedentary conditions, exercise reduced subjective sleepiness levels and elicited a temporary increase in sympathetic activity, measured by plasma noradrenaline levels. These findings provide preliminary support for exercise as a potential sleep inertia countermeasure.
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COVID-19 has brought the world into uncharted waters. Many countries are under lockdown, the economy has ground to a halt, and almost everyone is afraid of dire consequences. ⋯ Our study of 203 corporate sector professionals performing '9-5' work from home during this phase of the pandemic and of 325 undergraduate and postgraduate university students substantiates, relative to the before lockdown condition, more extensive feelings of sleepiness, with significantly (p < .05) increased daytime nap duration, and depressive symptomatology (p < .001) that is a matter of concern. Moreover, the chronic stress of living through a pandemic led to a host of physical symptoms, like headaches, insomnia, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, and fatigue.
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This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronotype preference/sleep problems and symptom severity of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the COVID-19 outbreak and to assess the chronotype preference/sleep problems that may play a mediating role in the relationship between the reactions to trauma and severity of ADHD symptoms. The sample of this single-center cross-sectional study consisted of 76 children with ADHD and their parents. Trauma symptoms were evaluated with the Children's Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8); sleep habits were assessed using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ); and chronotype was assessed using the Children's Chronotype Questionnaire (CCQ). ⋯ In mediation analyses, sleep problems were found to be the full mediating factor in the relationship between CRIES-8 scores and severity of ADHD symptoms and the relationship between CCQ scores and the severity of ADHD symptoms. Our findings indicate that chronotype plays an important role on the negative effects of home confinement of ADHD children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The role of the full mediator of sleep problems in the path from cognition to the behavior of young ADHD and non-ADHD children confined to the home environment during the pandemic period requires further assessment.
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This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronotype preference/sleep problems and symptom severity of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the confinement and social isolation of the COVID-19 outbreak. This study included 46 drug-naive children aged 4-17 y diagnosed with ASD. The Autism Behavior Checklist (AuBC), Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and Children's chronotype questionnaire (CCQ) were filled out before and at the end of the COVID-19 mandated home confinement by the children's parents. ⋯ The sleep problems of the children with ASD during the home confinement period mediated the relationship between chronotype score and severity of autism symptoms. It is essential to validate the role of the mediator effect of sleep problems and chronotype in larger samples of children with ASD with restricted to home confinement during the pandemic period. If sleep problems can be controlled with parental education, pharmacotherapy, and psychotherapeutic interventions, the impact on children with ASD of home confinement can be reduced.
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Chronotype reflects time of day preferences for performing daily activities. Previous research within Asian and European cohorts indicates evening chronotype is associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk. However, evidence is limited from population-based US cohorts, particularly among women in whom evening chronotype prevalence may become higher after middle-age, coinciding with life stages associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. ⋯ The evening type compared to morning type was also associated with being a current smoker (OR(95%CI):2.14(1.02-4.52)) and having poor sleep quality (OR(95%CI:2.35(1.27-4.37)) and long sleep onset latency (OR(95%CI:1.89(1.00-3.56)). In our cohort of women, evening chronotype was related to poor CVH, likely driven by its influence on health behaviors. These findings, although warranting confirmation prospectively in other populations, suggest chronotype is an important factor to consider and possibly target when designing lifestyle interventions for CVD prevention.