Sleep disturbances in pregnancy, length of labour and type of delivery

Abstract

Background: Sleep patterns in pregnancy are often affected at different times for many reasons. Approximately two thirds of pregnant women complain of their sleeping patterns. Such problems impose further physical and psychological strain on women. This can influence the length and nature of labour and the type of delivery. This study was conducted to determine the association between sleep disturbances in the last month of pregnancy, the length of labour and type of delivery. Methods: A sequential non-randomised sampling method was used in this cohort study. This study followed 139 women (59 without sleep disturbances and 85 with sleep disturbances) in the last month of pregnancy until delivery. Demographic, obstetrical characteristics of mothers and items regarding general sleep disorders were collected using a questionnaire and observation checklist. SPSS software (version 18) was used for data analysis. Results: The mean duration of the first stage of labour in women with sleep disturbances was 65 minutes more than those who did not experience sleep disturbances. In the second stage of labour, the mean duration in sleep disturbed women was 25 minutes more than the control group (P<0.001). The difference between mean duration of third stage of labour in the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). The results also showed that caesarean section among the disturbed group was 2.7 times greater than in the other group (CI=0.83–8.5, RR=2.7). Conclusions: Sleep disturbances in pregnancy were found to negatively affect the duration of the first and second stages of labour. It may also influence the type of delivery; however, more research is needed on this subject.