Sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Reproductive medicine
• Sleep medicine
• Obstetrics

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and daytime sleepiness are common concerns.
• Pregnancy can influence physiological parameters, including sleep.
• The relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and pregnancy outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleepiness in pregnant versus non-pregnant women.
• To investigate the association between sleep-disordered breathing and obstetric outcomes in pregnant women.

Main Methods:

• Whole-night respiratory recordings and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) questionnaires were administered to 100 pregnant women and 80 matched non-pregnant controls.
• Participants included pregnant women between 24-34 gestational weeks.
• Respiratory parameters, snoring, and sleepiness scores were objectively and subjectively assessed.

Main Results:

• Snoring was more prevalent in pregnant women (9% of total sleep time) compared to controls (4%, p=0.005).
• No significant difference in OSA prevalence was found; three pregnant women had OSA (AHI >5), mainly due to central hypopneas, while two controls were diagnosed with OSA.
• Pregnant women reported higher daytime sleepiness (median ESS 9 vs 7, p<0.001), but this was not linked to snoring or OSA, and neither OSA nor snoring impacted obstetric outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The study found no increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pregnant women, potentially due to the non-obese status of most participants.
• Increased daytime sleepiness during pregnancy was not attributable to OSA or snoring.
• Sleep-disordered breathing did not demonstrate an impact on obstetric outcomes in this cohort.