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Sleep During Pregnancy

  • Sleep Disorders (P Gehrman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This article will provide a brief review of most recent findings of sleep, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome during pregnancy.

Recent Findings

Recent meta-analyses have found that 38.2% of pregnant women experience insomnia, 15% experience obstructive sleep apnea, and 20% experience restless leg syndrome. Poor sleep during pregnancy is associated with increased odds of preterm birth, cesarean section, hypertension, gestational diabetes, and longer deliveries. OSA is also associated with poor outcomes such as maternal hypertension, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and low infant Apgar score. Incidence of new-onset RLS increases with parity, gestational age, maternal age, and increased maternal adiposity. Typical treatments have been found to be effective for treating sleep disorders in pregnant women.

Summary

Obtaining sufficient sleep quality and quantity in addition to assessing and treating sleep disorders should be a priority for pregnant women and their providers.

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Funding

Preparation of this article was supported by National Institute of Nursing Research Grant R01NR018342 to Sara Nowakowski, South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center; and Center of Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (CIN 13–413), Department of Veteran Affairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA

    Jessica M. Meers & Sara Nowakowski

  2. Center of Innovation in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2450 Holcombe Blvd., Suite 01Y, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Jessica M. Meers & Sara Nowakowski

  3. South Central Mental Illness Research Education Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, USA

    Jessica M. Meers & Sara Nowakowski

Authors
  1. Jessica M. Meers
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  2. Sara Nowakowski
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Correspondence to Sara Nowakowski.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sleep Disorders

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Meers, J.M., Nowakowski, S. Sleep During Pregnancy. Curr Psychiatry Rep 24, 353–357 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01343-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01343-2

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