Sleep disorders in pregnancy: A prospective observational study

Abstract

This study aimed to find out different patterns of sleep disturbances in pregnancy and their effect on mother and fetus. A questionnaire-based prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Women with sleep disturbances at start and during pregnancy included in the study were interviewed and examined at recruitment, at 24–32 weeks of gestation, and at term. Of 103 enrolled patients, 99 were followed up till delivery. All the recruited patients developed insomnia. “Changes in sleep-disordered breathing status” was associated with development of hypertension (p = 0.003), albuminuria (p = 0.037), and gestational diabetes mellitus (p = 0.012). It was also associated with 1-min APGAR score of <7 in newborns (p = 0.013). Association between sleep parameters and other fetomaternal outcomes, labor, and delivery is statistically insignificant. Insomnia is the most common sleep problem among women having sleep disorders. Little short-term effect on babies’ health (such as low 1-min APGAR score) was found in women having sleep disorders, but no comment can be made on the longterm effects as these were not assessed in this study.