Changes in sleep patterns and disturbances in children and adolescents in Italy during the Covid-19 outbreak

•The lockdown restriction impacts the sleep/wake pattern and sleep disturbances of children and adolescents.•Confinement due to COVID-19 determined a significant delay in bedtime and risetime and an increase of sleep duration.•Screen time (excluding online lessons) boosted during the lockdown, mainly in older children but also in younger children.•Children had an increased prevalence of difficulty and anxiety at bedtime, night awakenings, nightmares and sleep terrors.•Sleep disturbances did not worsen in adolescents since the sleep changes were compliant with their physiological sleep need.