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Shorter sleep duration increases postpartum weight gain
Sleeping less than 7 hours per night can lead to late postpartum weight gain in black and Hispanic mothers, according to findings published in Obesity.
“The most important known predictors of new or persistent obesity after childbirth are a high pregravid body mass index, primiparity, excessive gestational weight gain and being nonwhite race/ethnicity; however, modifiable behaviors that contribute to postpartum weight gain have not been wellstudied, particularly among groups at highest risk,” Sharon J. Herring, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine, obstetrics and reproductive sciences and clinical sciences at Temple University in Philadelphia, told Endocrine Today. “One potentially modifiable risk factor of increasing interest is sleep duration, as numerous epidemiologic studies have found an increased risk of new or persistent obesity and cardiometabolic disorders among adults and children with insufficient nocturnal sleep.”
Herring and colleagues recruited 159 women (mean age, 24.8 years; 69% black; 32% Hispanic) from 2012 to 2013 at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. All participants were recruited in late pregnancy or at delivery. Measurements of weight and sleep were taken at 6 weeks, 5 months and 12 months after delivery. Sleep duration was measured by an actigraph wristwatch.
Shorter sleep duration was common for all participants, with an average sleep duration of 6.4 hours at 6 weeks after delivery and 6.6 hours at 5 months. According to the researchers, 75% of the cohort slept less than 7 hours per night after 6 weeks and 63% slept less than 7 hours per night after 5 months. Despite the tendency for shorter sleep duration at 6 weeks after delivery, they did not find a significant change in postpartum weight gain at that time point. However, at 5 months after delivery, women who slept less than 7 hours per night gained an average of 1.8 kg more than women who slept 7 or more hours per night (P = .02).
The researchers noted that early pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain were effective predictors of both early (P = .008) and late (P = .002) postpartum weight gain. Parity (P = .02), Hispanic ethnicity (P = .009) and smoking status (P = .08) were effective predictors for late postpartum weight gain. In addition, women who slept less than 7 hours and had obesity based on early pregnancy BMI gained an average of 2.6 kg at 5 months compared with an average loss of 1.1 kg in women with obesity who slept 7 hours or more. Women without early pregnancy obesity lost weight at 5 months regardless of if they slept less than 7 hours (mean loss of 1.5 kg) or 7 hours or more (mean loss of 1.9 kg).
“Because weight gains over the first postpartum year are associated with an adverse cardiometabolic profile (eg, higher blood pressure, greater insulin resistance, lower adiponectin, higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels), emerging as early as 12 months after childbirth, strategies to promote postpartum weight loss are critical to the design of interventions to improve maternal health outcomes,” Herring said. “These data suggest that extending nocturnal sleep duration may offer a useful approach for slowing the trajectory of postpartum weight gain, particularly among black and Hispanic mothers with obesity.” – by Phil Neuffer
Disclosures: Herring reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.