Researchers followed 1,518 US infants aged one to 18 months and they compared the results with data collected during 2019.

Parents completed a questionnaire about their child’s sleep and screen time and also answered questions about their own sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and depression levels.

The data were supplemented by an auto-video-somnography device, a piece of equipment installed above the child’s crib that can record the infant’s movements.

Parental depression on the rise

The results? Mixed results were seen on the parental side. While they reported less symptoms of daytime sleepiness than in 2019, the symptoms of depression were higher.

Researchers linked this parental depression to the restricted living conditions implemented in response to Covid-19. The data was collected through a questionnaire filled out by the parents.

In the year 2020, babies slept an average of 40 minutes more per night compared to 2019 according to the data collected by auto-video-somnography. The researchers noted “earlier sleep timing, and increased parent-reported sleep-onset latency and nocturnal wakefulness.”

Screen time still too high

Screen time for slightly older infants increased by just over 18 minutes per day, the study reports. The scientists recorded a daily average of 50.6 minutes for infants aged 13-18 months, 30.5 minutes for those aged 7-12 months and 23 minutes for the youngest, one to six months.

Too much exposure, the researchers highlight, particularly as experts recommend not exposing children to screens before the age of two.

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