Purpose of review: As described in Part I of this two-part review, maternal sleep has wide-ranging implications for maternal health and overall family functioning. In addition, poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep are highly prevalent and characterized by considerable racial disparities.
Recent findings: Part II of this review discusses physiological mechanisms, including inflammation and appetite hormones, by which sleep impacts multiple facets of women's health during pregnancy and postpartum. These mechanisms are increasingly being delineated, but require further study and better integration with studies of behavioral and physical health outcomes. Further, there are multiple potential strategies for improving maternal sleep, providing the opportunity to tailor treatment approaches to individual needs. Ultimately, as a critical health behavior that is amenable to intervention, sleep provides a promising future direction for measurably impacting clinically relevant health parameters in women of childbearing age.
Keywords: Cellular aging; Cognitive-behavioral therapy; Exercise; Infant; Inflammation; Intervention; Maternal; Nutrition; Perinatal; Sleep.