SLEEP QUALITY IN PREGNANCY AND NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE SLEEP QUALITY.

During the childbearing phase of life, a woman’s sleep can be profoundly altered, with increased risk for physical and mental health problems. Poor sleep can adversely affect labor and delivery, lead to poor maternal infant interactions or poor relationships with other adults, and even affect the infant’s growth and development. Hormonal alterations during early pregnancy, enlargement of the fetus during late pregnancy, and a newborn with random patterns of sleeping and feeding contribute to her disrupted sleep. This chapter briefly reviews normal physiological and anatomical changes that occur during pregnancy and discusses common sleep problems that can occur during pregnancy. Throughout this review chapter, the nurses’ role in sleep promotion is discussed in relation to sleep hygiene behaviors that can be adapted for pregnant women.