Ask any pregnant woman about the quality of their sleep and they will undoubtedly respond with not the most positive of answers. Up until now however, objective research measuring sleep changes in pregnancy have not always backed up the tired pregnant woman’s experience.
Now, researchers have confirmed the anecdotal reports that pregnant women suffer from sleep deprivation. A recent study has shown that during pregnancy women will battle with more awakenings and less deep sleep than non-pregnant women.
The research studied 27 women in the third trimester, 21 women in the first trimester and 24 non-pregnant control women who all underwent overnight polysomnography and completed questionnaires regarding sleep and mood.
The authors note that women in the third trimester of pregnancy had poorer sleep efficiency, more awakenings, less stage 4 sleep, more stage 1 sleep and fewer minutes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep when compared to the control group. Sleep during the first trimester was affected to a lesser extent, with more wake time after sleep onset and less stage 4 sleep when compared to controls.
So whether or not the validating research is reassuring, maybe it is at least good to know that sleep deprivation in pregnancy may be considered “par for the course”, and that you are not alone!
If you are currently experiencing sleep deprivation during your pregnancy and are in need of some helpful sleep-inducing tips, check out my article: Sleep in pregnancy. You can also visit our Pregnancy & Preconception community to chat to other expectant mums about their sleeping patterns.
Reference: Wilson et al. Decreased sleep efficiency, increased wake after sleep onset and increased cortical arousals in late pregnancy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2010: Dec 7 (online)
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