Construct of the Association between Sleep Quality and Perinatal Depression: A Literature Review

Pregnancy is characterized by hormonal and physiological changes; some of these changes cause changes in sleep, presenting excessive sleep in early pregnancy due to the action of progesterone, and difficulty sleeping at the end of pregnancy due to weight gain and frequency of urination. Objective: to identify and systematize the evidence on the association between sleep quality and perinatal depression in pregnant and postpartum women. Methods: an integrative literature review was carried out with a search in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS databases using the PRISMA flowchart. Results: Of the 92 articles, 10 studies were included according to the eligibility criteria. Results indicate that poor sleep quality during pregnancy is predictive of prenatal and postnatal depression. Sleep quality worsens with increasing gestational and maternal age. Conclusions: Sleep quality during pregnancy is associated with perinatal depression, a global public health problem with high prevalence. Due to its severe consequences for women, children, and families, perinatal depression needs to be identified early, preferably during pregnancy or soon after childbirth, justifying the priority of screening and prevention.