Abstract
The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations among sleep characteristics, feeding variables, and fatigue among older Japanese primiparas (≥ 35 years old) during hospitalization after childbirth. A convenience sample of 16 participants who had given birth to a single newborn were recruited from maternity wards, and before discharge they completed a sleep assessment and questionnaires. Sleep characteristics were assessed using actigraphs. Diaries of daily activities recorded infant caregiving and subjective hours of sleep. The degree of fatigue was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Although participants' sleep was found to be significantly fragmented by the average number of feeds per night, sleep loss in this sample was not severe compared with previous actigraph studies of young Japanese mothers. Lower percentages of sleep efficiency (percentage of sleep between going to bed and waking up) and parameters of fragmented sleep were significantly correlated with higher degrees of fatigue. Nurses and other healthcare providers should observe mothers' sleep and assess levels of fatigue. Assistance should be offered to mothers who are tired, so that they can have less fragmented sleep during the night.
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