Objective
This study assessed sleep and circadian rhythms across the perinatal period in new mothers with and without postpartum weight retention (PPWR).
Methods
Weight was measured at 2 and 16 weeks postpartum in 21 women with previous major depression or bipolar disorder (mean age 29.5±4.7 years) who self-reported pre-pregnancy weight during third trimester. Wrist actigraphy was acquired at 33 weeks gestation and postpartum weeks 2, 6, and 16. Circadian phase was measured at 33 weeks gestation and 6 weeks postpartum. The Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory were completed during third trimester. Women were classified as PPWR+ if weight at 16 weeks postpartum exceeded pre-pregnancy weight by ≥5kg.
Results
Compared to pre-pregnancy, average weight gain (±SD) was 6.3±8.8 kg at 2 weeks postpartum and 5.2±8.5 kg at 16 weeks postpartum. ANOVA showed that PPWR+ women (n=8, 38%) had later sleep offset times and lower sleep efficiencies than PPWR− women at all time points and were more likely to report snoring during pregnancy.
Conclusions
Data from this small sample showed that women with PPWR had more disturbed sleep and later wake times and were more likely to report symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing. Future work in larger samples should examine whether interventions to improve sleep during pregnancy decreases PPWR.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.