Research on Improving Sleep During Pregnancy

Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent during pregnancy, with important implications for maternal and infant health and well-being. Despite this, there is limited research on interventions to improve prenatal sleep, and prior research did not target the specific factors contributing to poor sleep quality in this population. Specifically, pregnant people report that physical symptoms, including discomfort and pain, disturb their sleep. In non-pregnant populations, this pain-sleep relationship is bidirectional, and maladaptive psychological responses to pain further exacerbate poor sleep. Theory and empirical evidence indicate that mindfulness-based interventions may be effective for targeting these psychological responses. The overarching goal is to utilize a randomized control design to examine acceptability, feasibility, and adherence of mindfulness-based stress reduction plus prenatal sleep supplement (MBSR+PS) compared to treatment as usual among pregnant people with poor sleep quality (n=50). Participants will be recruited to complete study questionnaires at two timepoints during pregnancy. Participants randomized to MBSR+PS will receive usual care, will be asked to attend 8 weekly group MBSR sessions (in addition to the MBSR orientation session, 1:1 interview with the instructor, and daylong retreat) and 6-8 PS sessions individually or in small groups, and will complete daily sleep and home practice diaries. Participants randomized to treatment as usual will receive usual care. The specific aims are: 1. To determine acceptability of MBSR+PS. 2. To determine feasibility of MBSR+PS. 3. To determine adherence to MBSR+PS. 4. To explore evidence of change in psychological mediators. 5. To explore between-group differences in sleep. 6. To explore group differences in other critical clinical outcomes (e.g. depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, stress). There is strong conceptual basis to predict the potential benefit of this approach for pregnant people. Targeting psychological responses to poor sleep during pregnancy may have significant public health benefits.