The Power of a Good Night's Sleep During Pregnancy

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing, affects up to 13% of U.S. women of reproductive age. To assess the effects of sleep-disordered breathing on pregnancy outcomes, researchers prospectively studied a cohort of 3306 nulliparous women who underwent in-home sleep studies during early pregnancy (6–15 weeks' gestation) and midpregnancy (22–31 weeks' gestation).

Sleep-disordered breathing occurred in 3.6% of participants during early pregnancy and 8.3% during midpregnancy. Overall, compared with women who did not have sleep-disordered breathing, those who experienced the condition had twice the risk for developing preeclampsia and three times the risk for developing gestational diabetes after adjustin…