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Disturbed Sleep and Postpartum Depression

Michele L Okun1

  • 1University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway Osborne Center A-408, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA. mokun@uccs.edu.

Current Psychiatry Reports
|May 26, 2016
PubMed

The perinatal period introduces a myriad of changes. One important but often overlooked change is an increased reporting of sleep disturbance. Although casually regarded as a consequence of pregnancy or postpartum, there is emerging evidence implicating significant sleep disturbance, characterized by insomnia symptoms and/or poor sleep quality, with adverse outcomes, such as an increase in depressive symptomatology or the development postpartum depression (PPD). Significant consequences may arise as a result including issues with maternal-infant bonding, effective care for the infant, and behavioral or emotional difficulties in the infant. This review discusses the relevant literature as to how disturbed sleep during pregnancy as well as in the postpartum may increase the risk for PPD.

Keywords:
DepressionInsomniaMoodPostpartumPregnancySleep quality

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