Decoding distress among pandemic pregnancies: Examining pregnancy distress and COVID-19 stress as concurrent predictors of current and anticipated postpartum sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ObjectivesThe goal of the present study was to examine pregnancy distress, COVID-19 stress, COVID-19 compliance, and life satisfaction as concurrent predictors of perceived current and anticipated postpartum sleep duration (SD) and quality among a U.S. sample of pregnant individuals. MethodsThe sample comprised 544 pregnant individuals (62.3% non-Hispanic White; mean age = 28.0 and SD = 6.2), most of whom were in their third trimester (42.3%). Participants were recruited through an online panel (Qualtrics) between October and November 2020. ResultsThe primary analysis was based on a concurrent path model, which examined pregnancy distress, COVID-19 stress, COVID-19 compliance, and life satisfaction as predictors of current and anticipated postpartum SD and sleep quality, controlling for several demographic (eg, age and income), familial (eg, number of children and adults in the home), sleep-related (eg, chronotype and use of sleeping medication), and psychosocial functioning (eg, COVID-19 impact) variables. Results indicated that higher COVID-19 compliance was significantly associated with poorer current sleep quality. Furthermore, both pregnancy distress and COVID-19 stress predicted worse anticipated postpartum sleep quality (but not duration). Life satisfaction, however, was consistently significantly associated with current and anticipated postpartum SD and quality. ConclusionsFindings are critical for understanding how various forms of stress correlate with sleep health behaviors during pregnancy, as well as expectations for postpartum sleep among a vulnerable population at risk for both psychological and sleep challenges during a period of unprecedented global stress.