Quality of sleep and quality of life measured monthly in pregnant women in South Korea

Purpose The change in sleep patterns across the duration of pregnancy is an item of interest. The aim of this study is to provide data on pregnant women's quality of sleep (QoS) and quality of life (QoL) to determine appropriate times to screen for potential problems. Methods This is a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal observational study. Primigravidae, with no previous illness, completed questionnaires once a month. Strict exclusion criteria were applied in order to evaluate QoS and QoL in "normal" pregnant women. Results A total of 83 normal primigravidae completed this study. The mean age was 33.1 +/- 4.0. During pregnancy, body mass index gradually increased, and QoS worsened to a significant degree between the fifth and ninth months (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index 6.8 +/- 2.8 vs. 8.9 +/- 3.6, p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in QoL between the fifth and seventh months (Short Form-36 70.8 +/- 18.3 vs. 67.3 +/- 15.1, p = 0.009). There was no evidence of significant depression or suspicion of sleep-disordered breathing. Conclusions Pregnant women in South Korea have gradual worsening of QoS which becomes clinically significant by full term. QoL changes significantly between the fifth and seventh months. The results of this observational study suggest that it would be fruitful to evaluate QoS and QoL in pregnant women between the second and third trimesters.