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The relationship between sleep and postpartum mental disorders: A systematic review
Andrea Lawson1, Kellie E Murphy2, Eileen Sloan1
1Mount Sinai Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|February 24, 2015
Summary
Poor sleep quality during pregnancy and postpartum is linked to postpartum depression. More research is needed to understand sleep
Area of Science:
- Perinatal mental health
- Sleep science
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Postpartum mental disorders affect 10-15% of women.
- Poor sleep is associated with postpartum anxiety, depression, and psychosis symptoms.
- Evidence for the link between sleep and postpartum mental disorders requires systematic review.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the evidence on the relationship between sleep and postpartum mental disorders.
- To evaluate the impact of sleep quality and quantity on perinatal mental health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsycINFO, CINAHL) up to June 2014.
- Inclusion of published primary research in any language.
- Manual searching of reference lists for additional relevant studies.
Main Results:
- Thirty-one studies were included in the review.
- Evidence supports a link between self-reported poor sleep (pregnancy/postpartum) and postpartum depression.
- Evidence for postpartum anxiety and psychosis, and for objectively assessed sleep, was mixed or insufficient.
Conclusions:
- Sleep interventions may offer a low-cost, non-pharmacological approach to prevent and treat postpartum mental illness.
- Further high-quality research is necessary to strengthen the evidence base.
- Methodological variations in existing studies (design, assessment, sample size) limit current conclusions.
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