ASSOCIATION BETWEEN POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND SLEEP QUALITY AND ITS RELATED FACTORS

Abstract

Abstract The present study aims to investigate the association between postpartum depression and sleep quality and its related factors. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the period between January and March 2020. A sample of 204 women in Saudi Arabia were recruited from the “Well-Baby Clinic” affiliated to King Abdul Aziz Medical City. Both Pittsburgh sleep quality index and Edinburgh postnatal depression scale were used to assess the sleep quality and postpartum depression, respectively. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square analysis was performed to examine the association between postpartum depression and sleep quality. The study results showed that there was significant association between postpartum depression and subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, use of sleep medications and daytime dysfunction (p<0.05). Furthermore, the study revealed that maternal complications during pregnancy and/or delivery, the chosen mode of feeding, usage of painkillers, and post-delivery complications for the child (such as hypoxia) were factors influencing the postpartum depression among the surveyed women. The study concluded that women having postpartum depression are experiencing poor sleep quality. As a result, the study recommends increasing the awareness and knowledge of Saudi women concerning postpartum depression, alongside providing them with specific coping strategies to proficiently manage and alleviate the consequences of postpartum depression.