Sleep quality in postpartum women: exploring correlation with childbirth experience and household work

New mothers commonly report sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances during the first 3 postpartum months. A better understanding of factors related to postpartum sleep quality is necessary to develop interventions to improve sleep quality in postpartum women.

This study explored the impact of specific demographic and obstetric factors on the subjective sleep quality of postpartum women.

We used a cross-sectional, correlational study design. A convenience sample of 202 women in their fourth to sixth postpartum week was recruited from two hospitals in southern Taiwan. A demographic data form and the Postpartum Sleep Quality Scale were used to collect data.

The mean Postpartum Sleep Quality Scale score of participants was 22.82 (SD = 8.16), indicating a mild level of sleep disturbance. We found that better sleep quality correlated positively with a satisfactory childbirth experience and correlated negatively with daily time spent on household work. Pain, discomfort, and fear were the main dimensions associated with unsatisfactory childbirth experiences.

Study results recommend that health professionals should improve current protocols to help women better confront and manage childbirth-related pain, discomfort, and fear. Evidence-based postnatal education for parents should highlight the positive relationship between reduced daily household workloads and sleep quality for new mothers.