Sleep promotion: an important dimension of maternity nursing

Studies indicate that sleep is disturbed throughout the maternity cycle. The sleep disturbance, leading to reduced sleep time, has been associated with a variety of physical, behavioral, and psychological problems. When these are superimposed on the normal pregnancy and child birth, the potential for altered health is increased. Nursing intervention to identify sleep deficit and promote sleep is required at all stages of the maternity cycle. A knowledge of sleep structure and the role of each stage of sleep is a prerequisite in understanding the value of sleep in health.