The article examines relationships between pregnancy and maternal sleep. Specifically, sleep as a restorative process is considered with regard for the metabolic and arousal demands of childbearing. The analysis draws attention to the limited number of studies in the area and the need for greater research interest in pregnancy sleep phenomena. The available evidence indicates that maternal slow-wave and rapid eye movement which are key to anabolic activity and neural-cerebral recharge, are protected throughout pregnancy until perhaps the last 3 to 4 weeks before delivery. The sleep disturbances about which term gravidas complain appear to be based on increased periods of wakefulness after sleep onset.
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