Sleep Experiences Of Hospitalized Antepartum Patients

Abstract

For many women, pregnancy can be a time of sleep disturbance. Physiological, hormonal, and emotional changes associated with pregnancy often lead to sleep disturbance. Women who develop antepartum complications frequently are prescribed bed rest and hospitalization. Both pregnancy and hospitalization can influence sleep. This study examined the sleep experience of hospitalized antepartum women. The purposes of this descriptive correlational study were to determine whether being in the hospital affects sleep in pregnant women, gestational age influences sleep while hospitalized, and patient's usual sleep patterns influence sleep during hospitalization. A conceptual model of impaired sleep for the childbearing family provided theoretical guidance. A convenience sample of 24 pregnant women, 18-39 years of age, participated in the study. Most participants were unmarried minority women with annual incomes of less than $30,000. Difficulties in retaining participants to Day 4 were encountered; only 9 participants completed the study to Day 4. Most participants had existing sleep disturbances, according to PSQI and GSDS scores on admission. Women self-reported both internal and external factors that interrupted their sleep during hospitalization. There was a moderate, inverse relationship between the weeks of gestation and how well the participants slept the previous night on Day 3. Perceptions of sleep depth and sleep quality increased significantly over time. Self-reported difficulty in falling asleep the previous night significantly decreased over time. Recommendations for future research are modification of the design to include all women admitted and discharged prior to Day 4, larger sample size, and the use of objective and subjective measures in data collection.