Evaluation of sleep quality and duration in pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective follow-up study

Background and objectives: Sleep disorders during pregnancy may be linked an increase risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and duration in pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Materials and methods: This prospective follow-up study was performed on 240 pregnant women with a gestational age between 20 to 24 weeks, who were referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari from 2018 to 2019 for prenatal care. The sleep quality of all eligible women were evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). During the 26 to 28 weeks of gestation, 1-hour and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was done for all women. Results: The results showed that women with poor sleep quality had a significantly higher mean BMI and 1-hour and 2-hour OGTT results (P < 0.05). Compared to women with good sleep quality, women with poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) had a greater risk of developing GDM (OR = 2.99, 95% CI 1.77 to 5.06). In women with sleep duration of less than 7 and more than 9 hours, the frequency of GDM was significantly higher than women with the 7-9 hour sleep duration (P < 0.05). Also, the frequency of GDM in women with three or more than three times of snoring in a week (63.44%) was significantly higher than women with once a week (30.61%) (P-value <0.001). Conclusion: It seems that sleep disorders and poor sleep quality can be a risk factor in developing GDM. Therefore, sleep characteristics should be considered in pregnancy care; especially in women with higher risk of GDM.