Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Depression is common among pregnant women and identifying modifiable risk factors is critical (e.g., sleep). Individual sleep dimensions, e.g., short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, were associated with a higher risk of depression, while whether the multidimensional constr...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yueying Wang, Jinle Wang, Pei Chen, Jiahui Zhang, Qin Lin, Bilgay Izci-Balserk, Yan Li, Bei Bei, Bingqian Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:BMC Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07026-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849434123652825088
author Yueying Wang
Jinle Wang
Pei Chen
Jiahui Zhang
Qin Lin
Bilgay Izci-Balserk
Yan Li
Bei Bei
Bingqian Zhu
author_facet Yueying Wang
Jinle Wang
Pei Chen
Jiahui Zhang
Qin Lin
Bilgay Izci-Balserk
Yan Li
Bei Bei
Bingqian Zhu
author_sort Yueying Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Depression is common among pregnant women and identifying modifiable risk factors is critical (e.g., sleep). Individual sleep dimensions, e.g., short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, were associated with a higher risk of depression, while whether the multidimensional construct of sleep health could be a protective or risk factor for prenatal depression remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy. Methods This study was conducted among women during late pregnancy (28–40 weeks). Sleep health was measured by self-report questionnaires. Each dimension (sleep quality, duration, efficiency, timing, regularity and daytime sleepiness) was categorized as “good” or “poor”. A composite sleep health score was calculated. Depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between individual sleep health dimensions and depression. Restricted cubic spline analysis was used to explore the dose-response relationship between overall sleep health and depression. Results A total of 329 women were included. Their mean age was 31.6 years and the mean gestational age was 34.7 weeks. Sixty (18.2%) had clinically elevated depression. There was a dose-response relationship between composite sleep health score and depression, with a higher sleep health score associated with a lower risk of depression (OR = 0.572, 95%CI = 0.423–0.774, p for linearity < 0.001). Controlling for covariates, poor sleep quality (OR = 3.485, 95%CI = 1.817–6.683, p < 0.001), short sleep duration (OR = 3.462, 95%CI = 1.513–7.924, p = 0.003), and excessive daytime sleepiness (OR = 3.409, 95%CI = 1.804–6.442, p < 0.001) were associated with a higher risk of depression. Conclusion Both overall sleep health and individual dimensions (sleep quality, short sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness) were associated with depression during late pregnancy. These findings highlight the potential benefits of maintaining sleep health to achieve mental wellbeing in pregnant women. Healthcare providers may consider adding the assessment and management of sleep health as part of routine prenatal care. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
format Article
id doaj-art-313b41906ae448bdabf883d876ed4e5a
institution Kabale University
issn 1471-244X
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Psychiatry
spelling doaj-art-313b41906ae448bdabf883d876ed4e5a2025-08-20T03:26:47ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-06-0125111010.1186/s12888-025-07026-5Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional studyYueying Wang0Jinle Wang1Pei Chen2Jiahui Zhang3Qin Lin4Bilgay Izci-Balserk5Yan Li6Bei Bei7Bingqian Zhu8School of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityCollege of Nursing, University of Illinois ChicagoSchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityInternational Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityCollege of Nursing, University of Illinois ChicagoSchool of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversitySchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash UniversitySchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityAbstract Background Depression is common among pregnant women and identifying modifiable risk factors is critical (e.g., sleep). Individual sleep dimensions, e.g., short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, were associated with a higher risk of depression, while whether the multidimensional construct of sleep health could be a protective or risk factor for prenatal depression remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy. Methods This study was conducted among women during late pregnancy (28–40 weeks). Sleep health was measured by self-report questionnaires. Each dimension (sleep quality, duration, efficiency, timing, regularity and daytime sleepiness) was categorized as “good” or “poor”. A composite sleep health score was calculated. Depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between individual sleep health dimensions and depression. Restricted cubic spline analysis was used to explore the dose-response relationship between overall sleep health and depression. Results A total of 329 women were included. Their mean age was 31.6 years and the mean gestational age was 34.7 weeks. Sixty (18.2%) had clinically elevated depression. There was a dose-response relationship between composite sleep health score and depression, with a higher sleep health score associated with a lower risk of depression (OR = 0.572, 95%CI = 0.423–0.774, p for linearity < 0.001). Controlling for covariates, poor sleep quality (OR = 3.485, 95%CI = 1.817–6.683, p < 0.001), short sleep duration (OR = 3.462, 95%CI = 1.513–7.924, p = 0.003), and excessive daytime sleepiness (OR = 3.409, 95%CI = 1.804–6.442, p < 0.001) were associated with a higher risk of depression. Conclusion Both overall sleep health and individual dimensions (sleep quality, short sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness) were associated with depression during late pregnancy. These findings highlight the potential benefits of maintaining sleep health to achieve mental wellbeing in pregnant women. Healthcare providers may consider adding the assessment and management of sleep health as part of routine prenatal care. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07026-5Sleep healthDepressive symptomThird trimesterPregnancy
spellingShingle Yueying Wang
Jinle Wang
Pei Chen
Jiahui Zhang
Qin Lin
Bilgay Izci-Balserk
Yan Li
Bei Bei
Bingqian Zhu
Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
BMC Psychiatry
Sleep health
Depressive symptom
Third trimester
Pregnancy
title Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
title_full Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
title_short Relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
title_sort relationship between multidimensional sleep health and depression during late pregnancy a cross sectional study
topic Sleep health
Depressive symptom
Third trimester
Pregnancy
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07026-5
work_keys_str_mv AT yueyingwang relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT jinlewang relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT peichen relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT jiahuizhang relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT qinlin relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT bilgayizcibalserk relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT yanli relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT beibei relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy
AT bingqianzhu relationshipbetweenmultidimensionalsleephealthanddepressionduringlatepregnancyacrosssectionalstudy