Abstract
Frequently observed sleep/wake problems among pregnant women need comprehensive evaluation. This study was conducted to clarify the sleep/wake problems among pregnant women without gestational complications at the second and third trimester and the effects of sleep/wake problems on delivery outcomes. Methods: A total of 88 Japanese pregnant women participated in this study. At the second and third trimester, subjective sleep quality, insomnia severity, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED) were assessed using questionnaires; also, sleep disordered breathing (SDB) was screened using a pulse oximeter. Results: From the second to third trimester, an increasing tendency of sleep/wake problems was observed. At the third trimester, the percentage of women experiencing decreased subjective sleep quality, difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), EDS, RLS/WED, and 3% oxygen desaturation index (ODI) values ≥ 5/h were 62.5%, 45.5%, 48.9%, 9.1%, and 29.5%, respectively. In a logistic regression analysis for EDS at the third trimester, the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of total sleep time < 6 hours, moderate to severe DMS, and 3% ODI ≥ 5/h were 3.25 (1.16–9.10), 4.74 (1.60–14.00), and 0.90 (0.28–2.89), respectively. Decreased subjective sleep quality, insomnia severity, EDS, and SDB did not affect the delivery outcome or infant’s condition. Conclusions: Sleep/wake problems were frequent during pregnancy, especially at the third trimester. EDS among pregnant women was associated with shorter sleep time and DMS, rather than SDB. However, there were no significant effects of sleep/wake problems on the delivery outcomes or infant’s conditions.