The impact of a neonatal sleep intervention on sleep quality in the postpartum period

Abstract

To determine the impact of a novel neonatal sleep intervention on maternal sleep quality in the postpartum period in individuals with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) and assess the relationship between maternal sleep quality and blood pressure. In this single institution pilot randomized controlled trial, 110 individuals with a HDP were randomized to receive a neonatal sleep intervention, a SNOO smart bassinet, plus usual care of safe sleep education (n=54) or usual care alone (n=56). Individuals were included if they were 18+ years old, had a singleton term live birth of a non-anomalous infant without a prolonged neonatal intensive care unit stay, and had a new HDP without prior chronic hypertension. Remote follow-up visits conducted at 6 weeks postpartum included vital signs and subjective sleep quality questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance (PROMIS-SD) questionnaire, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Maternal sleep quality was a prespecified secondary outcome of this trial. Clinical and demographic characteristics were similar between arms (Table 1). Follow-up sleep data was available for 82 (75%) participants at 6 weeks (mean of 41.8±4.8 days) postpartum, with a higher follow rate in the SNOO arm (89% vs 61%) (Table 2). PSQI, PROMIS-SD, and ESS scores were similar between the two groups (p>0.05). The majority (88%) noted poor subjective sleep quality with PSQI score >5. There was no significant correlation between blood pressure and sleep quality (p>0.05) at 6 weeks postpartum. Use of the SNOO bassinet as a neonatal sleep intervention did not result in improved maternal subjective sleep quality at 6 weeks postpartum in our cohort of individuals with HDP. Self-reported sleep quality was not associated with blood pressure in this cohort of individuals with HDP.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)