Pregnancy is one of the most significant physiological transformations the human body undergoes, so it makes sense that biometrics and behaviours can look different than usual. Hormonal shifts , increased blood volume, cardiac output, and metabolism can all influence sleep, resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature, and respiratory rate. These changes can be subtle, but they can significantly impact how a person feels throughout pregnancy. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Chris Curry, OB/GYN, physician and clinical director of Women’s Health at Oura, shared pregnancy changes every woman should be aware of.
This trend continues right up until around birth, when time in bed starts to peak, while time asleep is at its lowest point of the pregnancy. There are many possibilities for why the analysis may have shown these changes in sleep, such as physical discomfort, frequent urination, difficulty getting comfortable, and anticipation around childbirth. Research showed that participants spent more time in bed (more than 30 minutes more per night), but only about 15 of those minutes in bed resulted in additional sleep.
Sleep can be quite different in the first trimester, according to Dr Curry. “There are a few things known about early pregnancy that may contribute to this, like nausea and frequent trips to the bathroom making it harder to stay asleep at night,” highlighted Dr Curry. “The actual time in bed in the third trimester was similar to prepregnancy; more of that time was spent awake, leading to overall less time spent asleep,” said Dr Curry.
During postpartum , overall time in bed being is significantly lower than pre-pregnancy, and time awake but in bed time similarly being much higher. It will seem obvious to those who have cared for a newborn; the infant’s rhythms of feeding and sleeping often significantly impact the biometrics and sleep of the mother.
“Changes in measures like RHR and HRV rapidly shift after delivery, with a notable return towards prepregnancy for all within days of delivery,” concluded Dr Curry.
