K. Nishihara et al., Comparisons of sleep patterns between mothers in post-partum from 9 to 12 weeks and non-pregnant women, PSY CLIN N, 55(3), 2001, pp. 227-228
In order to evaluate two patterns of interrupted and non-interrupted sleep
for the post-partum mothers from 9 to 12 weeks after delivery, we compared
them with sleep patterns of nonpregnant women. Subjects were 10 primipara a
nd 12 non-pregnant women. Their polysomnographic recordings were made using
a Medilog recorder at home. In interrupted sleep, low sleep efficiency. de
creased total sleep time, and a decreased percentage of stage 2 were signif
icantly observed compared with non-pregnant women. Sleep parameters of non-
interrupted sleep, except for increased percentage of stage 4, did not show
any significant differences from non-pregnant women. Mothers sleep fluctua
ted between interrupted sleep similar to the early post-partum sleep from 1
to 6 weeks and non-interrupted sleep with increased stage 4.