Poster #40 - Differences in Sleep Duration, Satisfaction, and Quality in Postpartum Women With Adverse Childhood Experiences

• In Event: Poster Session 10

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The importance of maternal sleep has been consistently identified in the literature, with poorer postpartum sleep linked to increased stress and postpartum depression (McQuillan et al., 2019; Bhati & Richards, 2015;), as well as highly correlated with infant sleep difficulties (Sadeh, 2010). One influential factor shown to increase sleep problems is exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Specifically, individuals with high ACEs are more likely to report sleep problems (Chapman et al., 2011; Kajeepeta et al., 2015), and recent work shows similar findings in women who are pregnant (Paulson & Miller-Graff, 2019). Further, the effects of ACEs on maternal prenatal sleep have also been shown to disrupt offspring’s sleep and increase the risk of difficult temperament (Ciciolla et al., 2022). Although the connection between ACEs and sleep problems have been examined in pregnant populations, this effect is understudied in mothers after giving birth. Given the importance of sleep for maternal psychosocial functioning and infant well-being, the current study examines the effects of maternal ACEs on postpartum maternal sleep outcomes including sleep duration, satisfaction with sleep duration, and sleep quality.

METHODS: Participants included 177 pregnant women (39.5% White) recruited in their first trimester who completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences scale (ACES; Felitti et al., 1998) to assess for history of childhood adversity. At six months postpartum, participants responded to questions regarding typical sleep duration and quality adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; Buysee et al., 1989). Participants were also asked how satisfied they felt with their amount of sleep on a 4-point Likert scale from “Very dissatisfied” to “Very satisfied”.

RESULTS: Preliminary analyses suggest significant negative correlations between ACEs category (low= 0 ACEs, moderate= 2-3 ACEs, high= 4+ ACEs) and sleep duration, satisfaction with sleep duration, and sleep quality. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to assess differences in sleep variables based on ACEs category. Results indicated a significant effect of ACEs category on sleep duration [F(2, 114) = 4.06, p=.02], satisfaction with sleep duration [F(2, 123) = 3.6, p=.03], and sleep quality [F(2, 123) = 3.36, p=.04]. See Table 1. Results suggest postpartum women with higher ACE scores were likely to endorse less total sleep time, decreased satisfaction with sleep duration, and lower ratings of overall sleep quality six months after childbirth.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that adversity in childhood may contribute to increased sleep difficulties in postpartum women, including fewer hours of sleep, lower satisfaction with sleep amount, and poorer sleep quality. Given the postpartum period may be a time of increased stress for new mothers and maternal sleep difficulties have been shown to affect infant sleep and temperament outcomes, it is important to address sleep problems early to prevent increased risk of psychosocial problems for both mother and child. These findings have implications for identifying mothers at risk for postpartum sleep difficulties by screening for childhood adversity and promoting early intervention for improved sleep to minimize harmful effects on offspring.

Authors

• Kristin Fields, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Hinckley, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater

• Gina Erato, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater

• Ashley N Quigley, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater

• Samantha Addante, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater

• Lucia Ciciolla, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater

• Karina M. Shreffler, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center