Poor sleep quality and light exposure at night may negatively impact psychological wellbeing during pregnancy

1. This retrospective cohort study found that poor sleep quality and increased light exposure at night were associated with more symptoms of stress and depression during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

2. However, poor sleep quality, but not light exposure, was associated with worsening anxiety and depression levels during the 2nd trimester.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Psychological wellbeing is essential during pregnancy for optimal birth outcomes. However, pregnant women are particularly susceptible to stress, anxiety, and depression, which can negatively impact pregnancy outcomes. Sleep and light exposure at night are two factors linked to psychological wellbeing during pregnancy. However, the role of these factors on psychological wellbeing during pregnancy and the interplay between these factors remains poorly understood. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between sleep quality, light exposure at night, and psychological wellbeing during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy.

The study included 169 patients who were randomly selected from government maternity clinics in Malaysia between 2019 and 2021. Participants were included if they were aged 20-48 years, had a single pregnancy, and were literate in English or Bahasa Malaysia. Participants were excluded if they had multiple pregnancies, were shift workers, or had serious health conditions, including gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, or anemia. Information on demographics and medical history was obtained from self-administered questionnaires and a review of antenatal health records. Sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and light exposure was measured using the Harvard Light Exposure Assessment (H-LEA). Psychological wellbeing was evaluated with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The primary outcome was the association between sleep quality, light exposure, and psychosocial wellbeing during pregnancy.

The results demonstrated that in the 3rd trimester, both light exposure and poorer sleep quality were associated with poorer psychological wellbeing in pregnant women. Specifically, light exposure between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. was associated with stress and depression during the 3rd trimester. Meanwhile, during the 2nd trimester, only poor sleep quality was associated with worsened wellbeing, while light exposure did not seem to have an impact. However, the study was limited by the self-reported nature of sleep quality and light exposure, which may have introduced recall bias. Nonetheless, the study demonstrated that poor sleep quality and high light exposure at night may negatively impact psychological wellbeing during the later stages of pregnancy.

Click to read the study in BMC Public Health

Image: PD

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