Investigating the Effectiveness of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality in Women with Natural Childbirth and Cesarean Section

Background and objective: Pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood are processes that have important social and emotional consequences for every woman. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of physical activity on sleep quality of women with Natural Childbirth and cesarean section. Methods: Among women referred to Jahrom Health Center in the year 2017- 2018 who had childbirth. 210 volunteers were included in the study (110 normal deliveries, 100 cesarean sections). They were divided into active and inactive groups based on their physical activity. The Petersburg sleep questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups in daily performance variables (p = 0.005) and total sleep quality score (p = 0.001). It was also found that active women with cesarean section had better condition than inactive women with cesarean section. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the variables of sleep disorders (p = 0.005) and total sleep quality score (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Exercise and physical activity can have a positive effect on the quality of sleep after postpartum and cesarean section. Findings can inform interventions designed to improve postpartum sleep via increasing opportunities for exercise among postpartum women.