Sleep quality in late pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in a Brazilian public maternity hospital

This study investigated the prevalence of poor sleep quality in late pregnancy and its association with perinatal outcomes in a public maternity hospital in Brazil. We conducted a cross-sectional study with postpartum women, focusing on their sleep experience during the third trimester. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Our findings revealed that eighty-nine percent of the participants were classified as poor sleepers. Poor sleep quality was associated with higher odds of cesarean delivery. Using penalized logistic regression to account for the distribution of events, the association persisted in separate models each adjusted for a single covariate (maternal age or pre-gestational hypertension). These findings suggest that sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in this population and may warrant attention during prenatal care. Given the cross-sectional design and the retrospective assessment of sleep, no causal or interventional inference can be drawn.