Lifetime Violence and Perinatal Sleep Quality: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Health
• Sleep Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Maternal exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse outcomes.
• Biological programming may mediate the effects of IPV on pregnancy outcomes, with sleep acting as a potential mediator.
• Understanding the link between violence exposure and sleep disturbances in perinatal women is crucial for maternal and child health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review synthesizing evidence on the association between experiences of violence and sleep in women.
• To identify research gaps and inform future studies on violence exposure and perinatal sleep.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across four major databases (PubMed, APA PsycInfo, Embase, Web of Science) between August and October 2023.
• Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed studies in English examining the association between various forms of violence (IPV, adverse childhood experiences) and poor sleep outcomes in the perinatal population.
• Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria for the review.

Main Results:

• A consistent positive association was found between exposure to violence and poor sleep outcomes in the perinatal period.
• Adverse childhood experiences were linked to sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality during pregnancy.
• Intimate partner violence during the postpartum period was also significantly associated with poor sleep.

Conclusions:

• Lifetime exposure to violence poses a significant risk to perinatal sleep quality.
• Current evidence predominantly comes from high-income countries, indicating a need for research in resource-limited settings to ensure cultural context and broader applicability.
• Further research is essential to inform maternal and child health policies and improve pregnancy care globally.