A Systematic Review of Studies Examining Associations between Sleep Characteristics with Dietary Intake and Eating Behaviors during Pregnancy

Abstract

Little is known about the association between sleep and diet in pregnancy, despite both behaviors impacting maternal and fetal health. We aimed to perform a systematic review of the available literature on associations between sleep characteristics and dietary intake and eating behaviors during pregnancy, reporting on both maternal and fetal outcomes. We followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and conducted our search on 27 May 2021 in the PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases. The search yielded 6785 unique articles, of which 25 met our eligibility criteria. The studies, mostly observational, published 1993–2021, include data from 168,665 participants. Studies included examinations of associations between various maternal sleep measures with a diverse set of diet-related measures, including energy or nutrient intake (N = 12), dietary patterns (N = 9), and eating behaviors (N = 11). Associations of maternal exposures with fetal/infant outcomes were also examined (N = 5). We observed considerable heterogeneity across studies precluding our ability to perform a meta-analysis or form strong conclusions; however, several studies did report significant findings. Results from this systematic review demonstrate the need for consistency in methods across studies to better understand relationships between diet and sleep characteristics during pregnancy.

The Role of Meeting Exercise and Nutrition Guidelines on Sleep during Pregnancy

“…Common non-pharmacological treatments and lifestyle changes include meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, maintaining a consistent sleep routine, caffeine avoidance, and limiting screen exposure prior to sleep [14]. A growing body of evidence further suggests that exercise and certain dietary factors are associated with improved sleep duration and quality in adults, implying that exercise or dietary interventions specifically tailored to pregnant women may also have significant public health value [15,16].…”

“…Both higher monounsaturated fat consumption, supplemental iron, and supplemental folic acid during pregnancy have been associated with better sleep quality during pregnancy [29,30]. A recent meta-analysis highlighted the needed for more work in this area, as there are a very limited number of high-quality studies examining the relationships between dietary factors and sleep during pregnancy [16].…”