Influence of Sleep Duration on Postpartum Weight Change in Black and Hispanic Women

Abstract

Objective The primary purpose of this study was to examine associations of objectively measured sleep duration with weight changes in black and Hispanic mothers over the first postpartum year. Methods Data were from 159 mothers (69% black, 32% Hispanic). Nocturnal sleep duration was assessed using wrist actigraphy at 6 weeks and 5 months post partum, examined as a continuous variable and in categories (< 7 vs. ≥ 7 hours/night, consistent with American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendations). Body weights were abstracted from medical records in pregnancy and measured at 6 weeks, 5 months, and 12 months post partum. Outcomes included early postpartum (6 weeks to 5 months) and late postpartum (5 to 12 months) weight changes. Results The majority of participants slept < 7 hours/night at 6 weeks (75%) and 5 months (63%) post partum. Early postpartum weight change did not differ by 6‐week sleep duration category. By contrast, adjusted average late postpartum weight gain (SE) was 1.8 (0.7) kg higher in participants sleeping < 7 hours/night at 5 months post partum compared with those sleeping ≥ 7 hours/night (P = 0.02). Results did not show statistically significant associations of continuous measures of sleep duration, nor of measures of sleep quality, with postpartum weight changes. Conclusions Sleeping < 7 hours/night was associated with late postpartum weight gain in minority mothers.

Racial/ethnic disparities in sleep in mothers and infants during the Covid-19 pandemic

“…43 A similar study performed with a sample of African American and Hispanic women from low SES backgrounds reported shorter duration of sleep (6.5 h per night) and lower sleep efficiency of 74% at 6 weeks postpartum and 78% at 5 months. 44 Thus, our results extend knowledge from studies of the general population which indicate that racial/ethnic-minority adults in the United States are at increased risk for poor sleep health, filling a gap in the literature regarding racial disparities in sleep during the specific post-partum period.…”

Postpartum sleep health in a multiethnic cohort of women during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City

“… 5 A similar study performed with a sample of African American and Hispanic/Latina women from low SES backgrounds reported shorter duration of sleep (6.5 hours per night) and lower sleep efficiency of 74% at 6 weeks postpartum and 78% at 5 months. 35 A recent study reported on determinants of postpartum sleep in minority women (African American and Hispanic), but did not have a White non-Hispanic group as comparison. They found bedsharing to be significantly associated with poorer sleep efficiency, which was not replicated in our study.…”

Social-ecological considerations for the sleep health of rural mothers

“…Rural women may also face barriers in establishing positive health behaviors that are linked to sleep health and that are protective factors against the development of postpartum depression, postpartum weight gain (Herring et al 2019 ), and negative health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease risk and diabetes (Guardino et al 2018 ). These individual health behaviors are all affected by more broad community and societal determinants; for example, mothers in rural areas, especially low-income and ethno-racial minority women, are more likely to have inadequate physical activity compared to urban women.…”