Introduction.

Pregnancy is a physiologic stage of the women that modifies sleep patterns. Sleep deprivation is associated with pathologies namely hypertensive disorders, coronary artery disease, diabetes and depression. Amongst pregnant women sleep disorders are more frequent being its prevalence higher during the third trimester of gestation. Furthermore, sleep deprivation worsens previous conditions such as low degree of physical activity, productivity and increases stress-related symptoms. Sleep disorders could be associated with comorbidities in the newborn as well as pregnancy/perinatal adverse outcomes.

Objectives.

To determine which sleep disorders are associated with pregnancy, their causes and the potential effects that sleep deprivation could exert on pregnancy outcomes and the newborn.

Methodology:

We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA statement. Observational, interventional and systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included and a critical analysis of the results was performed.

Results and discussion.

19 papers about sleep disorders and pregnancy/perinatal outcomes were finally included. Mains causes of sleep disorders during pregnancy consisted of hormonal changes and weight gain which are more prevalent as gestation progresses. Maternal outcomes associated to sleep disorders comprised respiratory, cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders along with pregnancy adverse outcomes namely caesarean section. Main perinatal adverse outcomes were preterm delivery and small for gestational age.

Conclusion:

We observed an association between sleep disorders during gestation, pregnancy and perinatal adverse outcomes. However, studies conducted to date are heterogeneous and they tend to use subjective tools to assess sleep patterns being results occasionally inconclusive or contradictory.

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