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Poor sleep quality is associated with preterm birth

Michele L Okun1, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Laura M Glynn

  • 1University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. okunml@upmc.edu

Sleep
|November 2, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Poor sleep quality during pregnancy is linked to a higher risk of preterm birth. This association was observed in both early and late pregnancy, highlighting sleep as a potential factor in adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Preterm birth (PTB) is a significant global health concern and the leading cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
  • While several risk factors for PTB are known, the precise etiological pathways remain incompletely understood.
  • Poor sleep quality is recognized as a correlate of various adverse health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether sleep quality during pregnancy serves as a clinically relevant risk factor for preterm birth.
  • To assess the association between self-reported sleep quality and the incidence of PTB.

Main Methods:

  • An observational study involving 166 pregnant women.
  • Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) via self-report questionnaires at multiple gestational points (14-16, 24-26, and 30-32 weeks).
  • Logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between sleep quality metrics and PTB.

Main Results:

  • Poor sleep quality emerged as a significant predictor of preterm birth.
  • The association between poor sleep and PTB was strongest in early pregnancy (14-16 weeks), with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.25 (95% CI [1.04-1.50], P = 0.02).
  • A more modest, though still notable, association was found in late pregnancy (30-32 weeks) (OR: 1.18 95% CI [0.98-1.42], P = 0.07). Each one-point increase in PSQI score correlated with a 25% increase in PTB odds in early pregnancy and an 18% increase in later pregnancy.

Conclusions:

  • Poor sleep quality during both early and late pregnancy is associated with an elevated risk of preterm delivery.
  • The specific mechanisms by which disturbed sleep influences PTB are yet to be elucidated.
  • It is hypothesized that poor sleep may independently contribute to PTB risk or act synergistically with other known risk factors like stress.
Abstract

Keywords:
Preterm birthhealthpregnancysleepsleep qualitystresswomen

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