O sono de crianças e adolescentes durante pandemias como a do COVID-19 e sua influencia no TEPT

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep is essential for the development of children and adolescents. Thus, any appearance that alters the characteristics of the patterns is harmful. Among the factors capable of influencing sleep are Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), developed during pandemics, such as COVID-19. Objectives: To understand how the sleep of children and adolescents during pandemics such as COVID-19 was influenced by PTSD. Methodology: This is a systematic review using PRISMA. Our databases were: Scielo, MedLine and PubMed. In which health science descriptors were used: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Child, Adolescent, Health Promotion and Sleep Quality. Articles from 2018 to 2024, English and Portuguese were analyzed. Results: Among the risk factors that impacted the mental health of children and adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic were sleep disorders and PTSD. A study conducted with children found that most difficulties related to sleep occurred during the pandemic. Family members admitted to the ICU and the hospitalization of the young themselves also influenced the development of PTSD. Discussion: Intense fear and lack of restorative sleep emerged as the main contributors to psychological stress, highlighting the importance of intervention strategies for these problems. Conclusion: To live during a pandemic is related to changes in sleep patterns and the development or amplification of PTSD in children and adolescents who are more susceptible to this change.