Effects of time and sleep on postpartum fatigue in older primiparous women : A pilot study

Abstract

The objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate the effects of time and sleep on changes in postpartum fatigue among Japanese primiparous women (≥ 35 years old). A convenience sample of 21 mothers who had given birth to a single infant underwent sleep assessment and completed questionnaires at 4 days and 1, 2, and 4 months postpartum. Sleep characteristics were evaluated using actigraphs. The degree of fatigue was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. The effects of each sleep parameter (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, waking time after sleep onset, and wake episodes) on changes in fatigue over time (1, 2, and 4 months postpartum) were examined. Shorter total sleep time was significantly associated with more severe fatigue. Nurses and other healthcare providers should provide information about the importance of sleep to mothers and their families; nurses should include mothers' assessments of sleep conditions on home visitations or in health examinations to identify accumulated fatigue.