Sleep impairment during pregnancy: Possible implications on mother–infant relationship

SummaryThe modern living standard has imposed upon society a situation of chronic sleep deprivation. This chronic loss of sleep affects women more than it does men. As a result, the postponement of pregnancy has become a common choice due to the priority given to social and domestic activities. For women, pregnancy represents a condition of intense physical and physiological changes that subject the pregnant woman to a number of potentially stressful situations, ultimately interfering with their quality of sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation, along with the changes imposed on women through pregnancy, can lead to several harmful consequences for the pregnant woman and the child, and can potentially undermine the mother–infant relationship. This article discusses circumstances under which sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality during pregnancy could result in damage to the mother–infant relationship, specifically through maternal fatigue, postpartum depression and changes in pregnancy-related hormonal secretions and activity.