Sleep quality and its association with mental health among pregnant women

Objective : To investigate the association between self-perceived sleep quality and mental health outcomes among pregnant women. Methods : It is a cross-sectional study conducted between April and December 2022 in a city in southern Brazil. The study included pregnant women aged 18 years or older who were receiving prenatal care at Primary Health Care Units and were in the third trimester of pregnancy. Self-perceived sleep quality was assessed using a single self-reported item with five response categories ranging from very poor to very good. Mental health outcomes were depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and suicidal ideation assessed through validated instruments, and anxiety, identified through self-reported previous medical diagnosis. Associations were estimated using adjusted Poisson regression models. Results : A total of 428 pregnant women were included in the analysis. Compared with participants reporting good or very good sleep quality, those reporting poor or very poor sleep quality had a 2.32-fold higher prevalence of anxiety. In addition, the prevalence of perceived stress was 230% higher, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 2.45 times higher among women with poor or very poor sleep quality than among those reporting good or very good sleep quality. Conclusion : Poor self-perceived sleep quality was significantly associated with adverse mental health outcomes during pregnancy, particularly anxiety, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of routinely assessing sleep quality during prenatal care and implementing targeted interventions to promote maternal mental health.