Abstract:
Background: Sleep is a physiological process that vital for enhancing physical and mental well being of pregnant women and their fetuses. Nevertheless, inadequate quality sleep increases the
risk of developing short- and long-term pregnancy complications.
Objective: To assess determinants of sleep quality among pregnant women in Teaching Hospital,
Mahamodara (THM)
Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with antenatal
mothers (n=245) who selected from antenatal clinics and wards in THM. Sleep quality, antenatal
depression and antenatal anxiety were assessed using validated Sinhala versions of Pittsburgh
Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Generalized
Anxiety Disorder 7 Scale (GAD-7), respectively. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25.0.
Results: Majority of participants were married, 73.1% unemployed, 43.3% education up to O/L
and were primi mothers in their third trimester. Descriptive data of PSQI score was 4.85
(SD=2.31). Of the sample, 60.8% participants had good sleep quality and they didn’t experience
depression and anxiety. Age between 34–41 years and third-trimester women had higher rates of
poor sleep quality. Gestational age and increasing maternal age (p<0.05) were significantly
associated with sleep quality. Varying quality of sleep was identified among three-trimesters with
subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances (p<0.05).
Comparison with the first and second trimester, third trimester mothers had higher global PSQI
score (5.22 ±2.35), subjective sleep quality (1.23 ±0.70), sleep latency (1.25 ±0.86), habitual sleep
efficiency (0.14 ±0.43), and sleep disturbances (1.39 ±0.58).
Conclusions: Majority of the participants had quality sleep. Anxiety, depression, increased age
and gestational age are major determinants of sleep quality. It is better to screen for sleep pattern,
planning clinic sessions to enhance awareness of quality sleeping during pregnancy period.
