Insomnia symptoms during pregnancy: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Reports of sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy, yet estimates of prevalence of insomnia symptoms during pregnancy vary widely. The goals of the current review were to summarize the existing data on prevalence of insomnia symptoms during pregnancy and to explore potential moderators, including trimester, gestational age, maternal age, symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of depression. A systematic search of PubMed, PsycInfo and Web of Science was conducted for articles published from inception up to June 2020. In total, 24 studies with a total of 15,564 participants were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of insomnia symptoms during pregnancy was 38.2%. Trimester was a significant moderator, such that prevalence of insomnia symptoms was higher in the third trimester (39.7%) compared to first (25.3%) and second (27.2%) trimesters. No other variables significantly moderated the prevalence of insomnia symptoms. The results of the current meta‐analysis suggest that the prevalence of insomnia symptoms is higher during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. Future research should examine the efficacy and safety of insomnia treatments with this population.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence of insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy

“…Natural biological changes may play a vital role in the development of insomnia in pregnant women. Women who are prone to insomnia may, for example, have more difficulty in falling asleep after waking up at the midnight due to stressors related to pregnancy [22]. Various factors might be associated with insomnia in pregnancy of that age of pregnant woman, gestational age, pregnancy trimester, symptoms of anxiety and depression, level of education, and personality traits are among these factors [22,23].…”

“…Women who are prone to insomnia may, for example, have more difficulty in falling asleep after waking up at the midnight due to stressors related to pregnancy [22]. Various factors might be associated with insomnia in pregnancy of that age of pregnant woman, gestational age, pregnancy trimester, symptoms of anxiety and depression, level of education, and personality traits are among these factors [22,23]. Mid-pregnancy insomnia was associated with the occurrence of depression but was not significantly associated with postpartum depression [20].…”

“…As the pregnancy progresses, the rate of insomnia increases and then decreases significantly after delivery [24]. Many studies have reported that sleep quality deteriorates during pregnancy and is often most disturbed in the third trimester [22]. According to a study by Wolynczyk-Gmaj et al (2017), the prevalence of insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy was reported as 39.8%.…”

Sleeping for Two: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in pregnant women

“…Insomnia and poor sleep quality-defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, restriction in hours of sleep, or feeling that sleep is unrefreshing-is common in pregnancy (1,2). Meta-analyses suggest that the prevalence of poor sleep quality and clinically significant insomnia during pregnancy ranges from 20-60%, depending on trimester and method of assessment (3,4). Since being declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 (5), the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 and the related public health measures put in place to limit its spread (i.e., physical and social distancing) have been associated with significantly increased distress and mental health concerns, particularly among pregnant women (6,7).…”

Sleep and COVID‐19, the history of sleep, chronobiology and insomnia

“…Another paper I would like to highlight comes from Sedov et al. (2021) from Canada. The authors performed a meta‐analysis of insomnia symptoms during pregnancy.…”