Obstetric Medicine > Volume 2, Number 3 > Pp. 100-106

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Review articles

Sleep disorders in pregnancy

Ghada Bourjeily MD   

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Women & Infants Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA

Correspondence to: Ghada Bourjeily Email: Gbourjeily{at}wihri.org

Sleep complaints are a common occurrence in pregnancy that are in part due to pregnancy-associated anatomic and physiological changes but may also be due to pathological causes. In the non-pregnant population, sleep deprivation has been associated with physical and cognitive issues; poor sleep may even be associated with adverse maternal outcomes. Maternal obesity, one of the most prevalent risk factors in obstetric practices, together with physiologic changes of pregnancy predispose to the development of sleep disordered breathing. Symptoms of sleep disordered breathing have also been associated with poor maternal outcomes. Management options of restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy pose a challenge in pregnancy; benefits of therapy need to be weighed against the potential harm to the fetus. This article briefly reviews the normal changes in pregnancy affecting sleep, gives an overview of certain sleep disorders occurring in pregnancy, and suggests management options specific for this population.

Key Words: sleep medicine • sleep disordered breathing • sleep disorders • obstructive sleep apnoea

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