Sleep quality at 3 months postpartum considering maternal age: A comparative study

Background

Poor sleep quality is related to old age among the general population, but few studies have focused on postpartum women of advanced maternal age. The present study aimed to describe and compare sleep quality between women younger or older than 35 years of age at 3 months postpartum, and to examine the related factors.

Sleep and psychological well-being

Although many studies have linked sleep problems with symptoms of psychopathology, fewer studies have examined the relationship between sleep and dimensions of psychological health as well as depression. To fill this gap, 502 community residents were surveyed about sleep habits, symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as Ryff’s six dimensions of psychological well-being. Using cut-offs suggested by epidemiological research, participants were classified as either optimal sleepers (those reporting an average of 6 hours or less than 8.5 hours per night) or suboptimal sleepers (those sleeping less than 6 hours or 8.5 or more hours per night). After controlling for demographic differences (i.e., sex, age, education, ethnicity, employment status, marital status, presence of children), the Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) suggested that optimal sleepers reported fewer symptoms of depression, and anxiety, and reported higher levels of environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self acceptance. Differences between optimal sleepers and non-optimal sleepers in depressive symptoms, positive relations with others, purpose in life and self-acceptance remained significant when people with mild to moderate symptoms of depression were eliminated from the data set. These results are consistent with a theoretical framework that defines sleep as a resource related to stress management and self-regulation.     

Sleep quality and stress in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus

BackgroundPregnant women with complications including pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) often experience disrupted sleep patterns because of activation of the sympathetic nervous system. These pathologies are aggravated by sympathetic nervous system activation and may be related to stress. The present study aimed to clarify the characteristics of and changes in sleep quality and stress in pregnant women with PIH and GDM during the second and third trimesters.MethodsWe enrolled 56 women in their second or third trimesters who were diagnosed with PIH or GDM. Participants completed questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Secretory immunoglobulin A (SlgA) concentrations were measured as a biological indicator of stress.ResultsPSS scores and subjective stress parameters were significantly higher than those reported from previous studies of healthy pregnant women (15.2 points and 15.1 points for the second and third trimesters, respectively).Mean one-day values for SIgA were 168.3 and 205.7 μg/mL for the second and third trimesters, respectively. During the second and third trimesters, SIgA scores were higher than those reported for healthy pregnant women in previous studies. The PSQI component scores sleep disturbance (C5) and sleep duration (C3) in follow up case were significantly higher in the third trimester than in the second trimester.DiscussionThis investigation suggests that pregnant women with PIH and GDM experience higher stress levels than do non-pregnant women and healthy pregnant women. Further, our results indicate that sleep quality worsens during the third trimester compared with the second trimester.     

Experiences of Sleep and Benzodiazepine Use among Older Women

Sleep disturbances are common among older women; however, little is known about sleep experiences among chronic benzodiazepine users. The experience of sleep, sleep troubles, and management of sleep problems were explored through semistructured interviews with 12 women aged 65–92 who had used a benzodiazepine for three months or longer to treat a sleep disturbance. Themes that emerged from an interpretive phenomenological analysis included multiple reasons for sleep disruptions (health problems, mental disturbances, and sleeping arrangements), opposing effects of benzodiazepines on sleep (helps or does not work), and several supplemental sleep strategies (modification of the environment, distraction, and consumption).     

Effects of chronic illness on daily life and barriers to self-care for older women: A mixed-methods exploration

This mixed-methods study examined the subjective experience of living with chronic illness and identified barriers to self-care. Community-dwelling older women with chronic illness completed an initial (N = 138) and follow-up mailed survey 6 months later (N = 130). On average, participants reported four comorbid health conditions and the corresponding physical pain, activities curtailed or relinquished, and time and energy focused on managing health. Only 34% of participants practiced all 10 key self-care behaviors. Reported barriers to self-management included pain, lack of financial resources, and worry. In the regression analysis, having more depressive symptoms was a significant predictor of challenges with self-care behaviors.     

Gender Difference in Sleep Problems: Focused on Time Use in Daily Life of Korea

Korea is well-known as one of the most sleepless country on the globe. Given the fact that sleep is closely connected with various health outcomes, we examined which group is more likely to experience sleep disorder problems within the context of time use. This study sets out to describe the differences in sleep disorder patterns between Korean men and women. In this study, we also tried to identify important socio-demoraphic factors and wake activity time use factors that might account for the sleep problem (short sleep/oversleep) and gender differences in sleep. Data from the original 2004 Korean Time Use Survey were used for this study (n = 16,958). Fifty-two percent of the respondents were women; the age range of the sample was 25–59 years. Results showed us that there was no gender differences found in dimension of short sleep. Still, women were less likely to be over sleeper rather than men, implying the existence of gender inequality in rest/free time. Results from the multinomial regression model showed that, although there were similarities in the impact of relevant factors, men’s sleep was more likely to be disturbed by their work role, while women’s sleep was affected by their work and family role. In this study, it was found that the gender difference in sleep problems was associated with time use, and especially the social roles that men and women occupied.     

Psychological predictors of eating pathology in older adult women

Eating pathology is generally considered to affect females during adolescence and early adulthood. However, in recent years, there has been an increased recognition that disordered eating occurs in middle-aged and elderly women and that the presentation is similar to that of eating disorders in younger women. In the research presented here, results of an Internet survey of older adult women (N = 245; aged 60–90 years) indicate that the factors significantly associated with eating pathology—perfectionism, depression, and sociocultural pressures to be thin—closely parallel those reported for both younger and middle-aged women.     

Australian women’s perceptions and practice of sleep position in late pregnancy: An online survey

BackgroundGoing-to-sleep in the supine position in later pregnancy (≥28 weeks) has been identified as a risk factor for stillbirth. Internationally, public awareness campaigns have been undertaken encouraging women to sleep on their side during late pregnancy.AimThis study aimed to identify sleep practices, attitudes and knowledge in pregnant women, to inform an Australian safe sleeping campaign.MethodsA web-based survey of pregnant women ≥28 weeks’ gestation conducted from November 2017 to January 2018. The survey was adapted from international sleep surveys and disseminated via pregnancy websites and social media platforms.FindingsThree hundred and fifty-two women participated. Five (1.6%) reported going to sleep in the supine position. Most (87.8%) had received information on the importance of side-sleeping in pregnancy. Information was received from a variety of sources including maternity care providers (186; 66.2%) and the internet (177; 63.0%). Women were more likely to report going to sleep on their side if they had received advice to do so (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.0–5.1). Thirteen (10.8%) reported receiving unsafe advice, including changing their going-to-sleep position to the supine position.DiscussionThis indicates high level awareness and practice of safe late-pregnancy going-to-sleep position in participants. Opportunities remain for improvement in the information provided, and understanding needs of specific groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.ConclusionFindings suggest Australian women understand the importance of sleeping position in late pregnancy. Inconsistencies in information provided remain and may be addressed through public awareness campaigns targeting women and their care providers.     

Older Women Caring for Older Women: The Rewards and Challenges of the Home Care Aide Job

As our population ages, the need for personal assistance services increases. Paid personal care is predominantly provided by women, often older women, and has been considered low-status, low-wage work. This article reports on a mixed-method, longitudinal study of 261 home care aides; study participants were 46 years old, on average. Predictors of termination included younger age and lack of health insurance. Study participants reported more rewarding than challenging aspects to the job, though low and inconsistent compensation often forced them to leave the work they loved. Implications of the study with regard to older women caring for older women are explored.     

Exploring First Sexual Intercourse,Sexual Orientation,and Sexual Health in Men

In this study the characteristics of the sexual debut of men who have sex with men (MSM) and men who have sex with women (MSW) age 35 or younger (N = 1,201) were compared with one another. We investigated whether these characteristics were associated with sexual health and behavior, and to what extent. Compared to MSW, MSM tended to be older when they had their first sexual intercourse; their first sex partner was older, they felt less ready, and they experienced more pain. We also found that they reported a higher number of lifetime sexual partners and less condom use compared to MSW. Similarities were also ascertained, such as the fact that individuals from both groups do not differ significantly regarding how they experienced their first sexual intercourse emotionally. Many differences between these groups should not always be seen as problematic, whereas others still indicate a need for targeted interventions.     

睡眠质量对家庭风险性资产配置的影响

文章采用2016年和2018年中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)面板数据,讨论了睡眠质量对家庭持有风险性金融资产广度和深度的作用特征。研究发现,睡眠质量对家庭风险性金融资产选择的广度和深度产生了显著的正向影响。在对不同职业群体和2012年CFPS数据进行估计后,仍得到一致的结论。文章进一步对影响机制研究发现,睡眠质量会通过收入水平、健康状况与认知能力对家庭风险性金融资产配置产生影响。神经质人格与睡眠质量的交互作用和家庭风险性金融资产配置也显著相关。此外,睡眠质量对家庭风险性金融资产投资的影响存在异质性,这一影响在城市地区、女性为财务决策者和高受教育水平的家庭中更为显著。     

Sleep Time: Media Hype vs. Diary Data

Sleep duration has figured into claims of two trends promoted recently as dysfunctional in the mass media. One is the observation that the population at large is sleeping less than before. The second is that the annual change from Standard Time to Daylight Savings (or summer) Time causes adverse effects, largely through the loss of an hour’s sleep. This paper relies on recent Canadian and U.S. time-use data to empirically test both of these value-laden allegations. Analysis of Statistics Canada’s general social surveys containing time-use information in 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2005 shows that the mean duration of sleep was unchanged between 1986 and 1998 and actually declined by about 15 min a night in 2005, reflecting an earlier bedtime and unchanged arising time. Sleep duration is not constant in the population, though, and the media view might reflect the habits of population sectors such as the intelligence with great access to the media. The American Time Use Study sample of 20,720 respondents in 2003 enabled the analysis of time-use before, on, and after the dates of semi-annual time changes that year. These data showed that any sleep time “lost” in the spring-forward time change was insignificant and short-lived due to the fact that it occurred on the night between Saturday and Sunday, when people typically sleep much longer than on weekdays. While there are other time trade-offs observed after time changes, their explanation lies in other directions.     

“Difficult,Messy, Nasty,and Sensational”

Feminist publishing played an important role in the feminist art movement of the 1970s and into the 1980s, and Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics was a key journal in this landscape. This paper argues that Heresies is important not only because it was a forum for some of the most influential feminist art women of the period, but because it experimented with an editorial structure that required participants to reckon with the discomforts of difference. Editors of the periodical took seriously the feminist critique of hierarchically structured organizational cultures and both promoted and practiced collective publishing. Moreover, through an emphasis on editorial statements, I consider how Heresies gives expression to the affective entanglements of the women involved in Heresies' specific form of collaboration and collective feminist politics. An examination of the editorials as sites of affective intensity helps to come to an understanding not of what women were thinking, writing, and making, but how they may have felt about their work and their relationships with women with whom they worked.     

Older women's experiences with chronic pain: daily challenges and self-care practices

The subjective nature of chronic pain leads to challenges in describing, treating, and accommodating pain. Twenty older women, who engaged in focus groups, and eight of whom also participated in individual interviews, discussed the influence of chronic pain on their perception of self as well as daily functioning. Managing pain forced many of the women to withdraw from social activities that they valued and interfered with sleep patterns, household tasks and recreational activities. Varied acceptance by social network members added to the challenge of adjusting to complications associated with pain. Self-care practices that supported independence contributed to women's perceived success in daily functioning.     

Explaining age differences in women’s emotional well-being: The role of subjective experiences of aging

ABSTRACT

Our study examines explanations for the “paradox” of older women’s better emotional well-being compared with younger women. We consider the role of subjective experiences of aging in a society that devalues older women. Using a sample of women (n = 872) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (1995–1996 and 2004–2006), we examine the role of five components of the subjective experience of aging in explaining older women’s better emotional well-being compared with younger women: age identity, conceptions of the timing of middle age, aging attitudes, aging anxieties, and self-assessed physiological changes. We find that, compared with women 50–54 years old, those 35–39 years old report lower positive affect, and those 25–49 report higher negative affect. These patterns are partially explained by younger women’s greater anxiety about declines in health and attractiveness and older women’s more youthful identities. Our study underscores the value of considering the implications of our ageist and sexist society for women’s emotional well-being across adulthood.     

The influence of physical activity in water on sleep quality in pregnant women: A randomised trial

Introduction

Sleep is a physiological state of self-regulation. The international classification of sleep disorders now includes as a new category those occurring during pregnancy. Regular physical activity is known to improve the quality of life, one aspect of which is sleep quality. During pregnancy, physical activity is decreased but should not be eliminated, as studies have reported a high correlation between sleep disorders and the absence of physical activity. Regular physical exercise during pregnancy, whether performed in water or out of it, provides greater control of gestational weight gain. Furthermore, the reduced weight gain during pregnancy, as a result of physical exercise, is associated with greater physical resistance to the demands of childbirth, combats the fatigue caused by pregnancy and reduces back pain. All of these outcomes tend to enhance sleep quality, among other beneficial effects.

Influence of Chronic Pain on the Family Relations of Older Women

Explorations of family problems in elderly women with problems of chronic pain is an uncharted territory as is the application of family and couple therapy. The interpersonal conflicts encountered by older pain patients are not fundamentally different than their younger counterparts. Several case illustrations are provided to show the impact of chronic pain as it affects older women in their roles as patients and caregivers.     

Female sterilizing operations in New South Wales: A demographic perspective

This paper examines trends in female sterilizing operations from a demographic perspective. These operations have declined in New South Wales since 1981, with a substantial drop in tubal ligation and hysterectomy, particularly among younger women. The decline in sterilization of women of childbearing age has been due to postponement of births. Younger women have avoided terminal methods of birth control and continued to use methods, such as oral contraceptives and back-up abortion, which allow for a pregnancy at a later age. Sterilizing operations still remain the most commonly reported means of birth control by women over age 35.