Abstract Introduction The perinatal period involves numerous physiological, psychological, and biological changes. Sleep is one of the most frequently reported concerns during this time. Many women report disturbances, impairments, and/or insufficient sleep beginning in early gestation which continues into the postpartum period. Poor sleep has been linked to several negative outcomes, including increased postpartum mood symptoms. This preliminary report examines changes in subjective sleep from late first trimester through three months postpartum and their association with postpartum depressive symptoms. Methods Forty-two pregnant women (Mage= 30.8 ± 5.1), with and without a history of postpartum depression, participated in a longitudinal observational study at 16-20 weeks, 28-31 weeks, and ~3 months postpartum. Participants completed the PSQI, ISI, ESS, FFS, and the EPDS at each of the time points via Qualtrics. Repeated Measures ANOVA assessed changes over time and linear regression examined associations with depressive symptoms at 3 months postpartum. Results Fatigue showed a significant linear and quadratic change over time (F = 21.5, p .001; F = 34.8, P 001, respectively), increasing in late pregnancy and decreasing at three months postpartum. ISI scores also changed significantly in a linear and quadratic manner over time (F = 4.8, P = .038; F = 9.37, P = .005, respectively). Lastly, there was a significant quadratic change in depressive symptoms PP (F = 5.14, p = .033) with a modest increase at T2. Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness did not change over time, but not surprisingly, PSQI scores were elevated at each time point, averaging ~7. While there were several cross-sectional associations between the questionnaires and EPDS scores, only fatigue at T2 was associated with higher EPDS scores at 3 months PP (F = 8.86, p = .006). Conclusion Consistent with existing data, women with and without a history of depression report elevated levels of disturbed sleep during early pregnancy which all modestly improve by 3 months postpartum. Contrarily, sleep was minimally associated with mood symptoms at 3 months postpartum. Targeting sleep early in the gestational period with behavioral and educational interventions may mollify risk for mood symptoms across the perinatal period. Support (if any) NICHD R15HD102904
Okun et al. (Fri,) studied this question.