0259 Associations between exercise, sleep, and mood during pregnancy

Abstract Introduction Sleep and mood disturbances are common complaints among women during pregnancy. Exercise is a non-pharmacological intervention that may help improve sleep and mood; however the relationship between these variables in pregnancy is unclear. The purpose of the current study is to determine if meeting exercise guidelines during pregnancy associates with improved sleep and mood. Methods Women (n=31, 32.5±4.3y) with healthy pregnancies were enrolled in the study during their third trimester (28-32 weeks gestation). Participants completed the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and PROMIS mood questionnaires and then wore a wrist actigraph and completed a daily sleep diary for two weeks. Participants who reported meeting exercise guidelines (>150 minutes moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]/week, EX, n=14, pre-pregnancy BMI 23.7±0.9) were compared to those who reported not meeting these guidelines (< 90 minutes/week, SED, n=17, pre-pregnancy BMI 23.8±0.9). Multivariate ANOVAs were conducted to compare groups on outcome measures and correlations were conducted between exercise, sleep and mood variables. Results Exercise guideline groups did not differ in subjective sleep quality (PSQI Global, p=0.23), objective measures of sleep behavior (sleep duration, efficiency wake after sleep onset, and fragmentation, ps>0.10) or in self-reported anger, anxiety, depression or positive affect (ps>0.25). Greater total daily activity associated with improved sleep efficiency (p=0.07) and less wake after sleep onset (p=0.07) but did not associate with mood outcomes. Less wake after sleep onset and sleep fragmentation were associated with higher positive affect (ps< 0.05) and less depressive mood (ps< 0.07). Conclusion Meeting exercise guidelines (150 minutes MVPA/week) did not associate with improved sleep or mood in the third trimester of pregnancy. However, greater daily physical activity associated with improved sleep, and improved sleep associated with better mood. Women are particularly interested in non-pharmacological treatment options during pregnancy and these preliminary results support the development of behavioral interventions aimed at increasing daily physical activity in this population. Support (if any) American College of Sports Medicine Foundation Research Grant awarded to TM.