Maternal sleep trajectories from preconception to postpartum in a population-based cohort: The Generation R next...

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Health
• Sleep Science
• Maternal Medicine

Background:

• Maternal sleep undergoes significant changes during the perinatal period.
• Existing research often overlooks the multifaceted nature of sleep and its evolution from preconception through postpartum.
• Understanding these complex sleep patterns is crucial for maternal well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate maternal multivariate sleep trajectories from preconception to six months postpartum.
• To identify determinants associated with different sleep trajectories.

Main Methods:

• Latent class analysis was used to identify sleep trajectories in 1406 women.
• Sleep parameters including duration, midpoint, latency, and quality were assessed using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire and General Sleep Disturbance Scale.
• Multinomial regressions examined associations between sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychopathological factors and sleep trajectories.

Main Results:

• Three distinct maternal sleep trajectories were identified: 'good', 'average', and 'poor' sleep health.
• These trajectories exhibited stability over time but differed in sleep midpoint, latency, and quality.
• Factors such as lower socioeconomic status, smoking, substance use, and depression/anxiety symptoms were linked to poorer sleep trajectories.

Conclusions:

• Maternal sleep trajectories are individualized and vary significantly from preconception to postpartum.
• A comprehensive assessment of multiple sleep components offers greater insight than single-component analyses.
• This approach can inform targeted interventions for preventing poor maternal sleep.