A Longitudinal Study of Physical Activity to Improve Sleep Quality During Pregnancy

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the association between maternal physical activity (PA) and sleep quality during pregnancy, and the necessary PA level at different gestational stages to attain improved sleep quality.

Methods

A total of 2443 participants were recruited from the Shanghai Maternal-Child Pairs Cohort (Shanghai MCPC) study, who had completed questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) at gestational weeks (GW) of 12–16 and 32–36. PSQI scores and their seven components at the two GW were compared, as were PSQI scores at 12–16 and 32–36 GW and the increment in PSQI relative to PA. Regression analysis was conducted to assess the effect of PA and its change on the total PSQI score at different GW.

Results

The mean PSQI scores increased significantly during pregnancy, from 6.30 ± 3.01 at 12–16 GW to 7.23 ± 3.47 at 32–36 GW. Compared with women in low PA level, moderate levels of PA at both 12–16 GW and 32–36 GW were significantly reduced PSQI scores of 0.42 (95% CI:-0.68,-0.16) and 0.32 (95% CI:-0.63,-0.01), respectively. At 32–36 GW, high PA level also significantly decreased PSQI score, with a greater decline than moderate PA level. (AOR=−0.87,95% CI:-1.57,-0.18). PA increment from 12–16 to 32–36 weeks of pregnancy created a significant decline of 0.54 in PSQI scores.

Conclusion

The study revealed sleep quality was worse at the third trimester and moderate PA level had the potential for improvement of sleep quality both in the first and the third trimester. High PA level was also beneficial to improve sleep quality of pregnant women in the third trimester.

Keywords:

• gestational weeks
• pregnancy
• sleep quality
• physical activity

Author Contributions

Huijing Shi and Qing Yang, the two corresponding authors contributed equally to this work. Huijing Shi and Liwei Tan made a major contribution to the conception and design of this study. Huijing Shi and Qing Yang mainly applied for grant funding and organized the data collection. Liwei Tan and Jiaojiao Zou were mainly responsible for the data analysis, wrote the draft and revised it critically for important intellectual content. Huijing Shi and Yunhui Zhang made a substantial contribution to the manuscript’s improvement. All authors made contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; took part in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; gave final approval of the version to be published; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Public Health Grant Support and the Fourth Round of the Three-Year Public Health Action Plan of Shanghai (15GWZK0402).