Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33640360›Full record

Observational studySleep health2021

A mixed methods study of perinatal sleep and breastfeeding outcomes in women at risk for postpartum depression.

Lily K Gordon, Katherine A Mason, Emily Mepham, Katherine M Sharkey

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Sleep health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Mixed Methods Studies on Breastfeeding: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lily K GordonThe Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Sleep for Science Research Laboratory, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Katherine A MasonDepartment of Anthropology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Emily MephamSleep for Science Research Laboratory, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Katherine M SharkeyThe Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Sleep for Science Research Laboratory, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Rhode Island Hospital, Divison of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Electronic address: Katherine_Sharkey@brown.edu.
Providence College · USBrown University · US

Funding

Science/Technical CoreP2CHD041020 · NICHD · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI Margot Jackson · 2016 to 2026
$7.6M
Spatial Analysis CoreR24HD041020 · NICHD · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI LOGAN, JOHN R · 2001 to 2016
$7.4M
Personalized Integrated Chronotherapy for Perinatal DepressionR01MH118269 · NIMH · RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL · PI SHARKEY, KATHERINE M · 2020 to 2023
$5.1M
Postpartum Depression: Role of Sleep & Genetic Risk in Postpartum Mood DisordersK23MH086689 · NIMH · RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL · PI SHARKEY, KATHERINE M · 2011 to 2015
$831k
NICHD NIH HHS P2C HD041020NICHD NIH HHS R24 HD041020NIMH NIH HHS K23 MH086689NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH118269
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPregnant and postpartum women experience significant sleep disruption, but the role of perinatal sleep disturbances in breastfeeding is understudied.

methodsIn this observational cohort study, we used mixed methods to examine associations between perinatal sleep and breastfeeding. Forty-eight women (mean age 28.2 ± 4.9 years) who were euthymic at enrollment but had a history of major depression (n = 43) or bipolar disorder (n = 5) had sleep recorded with wrist actigraphy. We determined feeding status through daily diaries and used semi-structured interviews to identify themes regarding participants' experiences, breastfeeding decisions, and behaviors. To examine whether sleep disturbance during pregnancy predicted breastfeeding (BF) rates, we defined "lower sleep efficiency" (LSE) and "higher sleep efficiency" (HSE) groups based on the median split of actigraphic SE at 33 weeks' gestation (cutoff SE = 84.9%) and classified mothers as No-BF, Mixed-BF (BF + formula), and Exclusive-BF at 2 weeks postpartum.

resultsPercentages of women who did any breastfeeding were: Week 2 = 72.3%, Week 6 = 62.5%, Week 16 = 50%. LSE mothers were less likely than HSE mothers to initiate breastfeeding (percent No-BF: LSE = 45.8%, HSE = 16.7%, P < .05). Average actigraphic sleep onset, sleep offset, time in bed, sleep duration, and SE did not differ based on breastfeeding status at any time point. Qualitative themes included insufficient preparation for the demands of breastfeeding, interrupted and nonrestorative sleep, and unrelenting daytime tiredness.

conclusionsIn our sample, preserved actigraphic SE during pregnancy was associated with initiation and continuation of breastfeeding. Future work should examine whether improving sleep in pregnancy improves mothers' feeding experiences.

Indexed as

Breast FeedingDepression, PostpartumAdultFemaleHumansMothersPostpartum PeriodPregnancySleepYoung AdultBreastfeedingLactationMixed methodsPostpartumPregnancySleep

Identifiers

PMID33640360
PMCPMC9665349
OpenAlexW3132814311

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.