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On March 10, 2020, the Italian Government ordered a national lockdown to limit the viral transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 infections. This study investigated how these restrictive measures have impacted sleep quality, timing, and psychological difficulties in school-age children and their mothers during the lockdown.

In an online survey, 299 mothers reported their sleep habits, experience of time, and psychological difficulties as well as those of their children (6–10 years old) during and, retrospectively, before the lockdown.

During the lockdown, children showed a marked delay in sleep timing—that is, later bedtime and rise time—and a mild worsening in sleep quality. They were less prone to respect daily routines or to keep track of the passage of time. They showed increased emotional, conduct, and hyperactive …