A study in Norway was carried out to assess the prevalence of, and risk factors for, postpartum maternal sleep problems and its associations with depression. In addition, the study aimed to identify any other factors independently associated with either condition. A total of 4,191 mothers completed a questionnaire seven weeks postpartum. Sleep was measured using a validated tool, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The prevalence of sleep problems was 57.7 per cent, and the prevalence of depression was 16.5 per cent. Mothers reported an average of 6.5 hours sleep. Factors associated with poor sleep quality were depression, previous sleep problems, being primiparous, not exclusively breastfeeding, or having a younger or male infant. Poor sleep was associated with depression independently of other risk factors.
