Sufficient sleep attenuates COVID-19 pandemic-related executive dysfunction in late adolescents and young adults

Abstract

\n Purpose\n To investigate the interaction between (1) sleep and the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) social cumulative risk and COVID-19 pandemic on executive function (EF).\n \n Methods\n Forty late adolescents/young adults (19.25±1.12 y.o.) completed sleep questionnaires and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Adults (BRIEF-A) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, yielding 80 observations for data analysis. Multilevel random-effects models with interaction terms were used to estimate the associations.\n \n Results\n Compared to pre-pandemic sleep, participants slept 24 min longer (t=-2.07, p=0.03) and also had increased sleep latency (t=-1.83, p=0.07) during COVID-19. Mid-sleep times shifted 40 min later (t=-3.22, p=0.003), and BRIEF-A scores increased (indicating greater dysfunction), during the pandemic (p<0.05). The worsening in EF during the pandemic was attenuated by increasing sleep duration (B =-4.38, p=0.04) and magnified by social cumulative risk (B=3.19, p=0.04). Poor sleep quality was independently associated with increase in EF problems (p<0.05).\n \n Conclusion\n Sufficient sleep may represent a resilience factor against EF decline during this unprecedented crisis.\n