Abstract
bjective: To determine the sleep quality, sleep
efficiency and level of anxiety in lactating women.
Methodology: This multi-centered, cross-sectional
study was conducted on 121 postpartum mothers. The
data were collected from University of Lahore
Teaching Hospital, Children Hospital Lahore and
Social Security Hospital, Lahore. Non probability
convenient sampling technique was used. Lactating
mothers aged between 14 to 45 years within one year
of postpartum, coming to OPDs of psychology
departments in various hospitals were included in the
study. Standard Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
(PSQI), Beck Anxiety Inventory questionnaires, and a
checklist containing demographic-fertility were used
for data collection.
Results: The mean age of mothers was 28.47 ±
3.815years (range 22 – 39). We found that 62.5%
mothers were using both breast and bottle feed to feed
their babies. About 20% breastfeed their babies while
62.5% used both breast and bottle feeding. No female
was smoker but many had experienced passive
smoking. There were 82.6% of mothers with moderate
sleep difficulties whereas 52.1% of the mothers were
with moderate level of anxiety.
Conclusion: Lactating women experience moderate
level of anxiety. Havefairly good quality of subjective
sleep, relatively better sleep efficiency and overall
above average sleep quality within one year of
postpartum.
Keywords: Anxiety, lactation, postpartum, sleeps
efficiency, sleep quality.
