Balanced time perspective as a factor mitigating the negative consequences of sleep disruptions in the perinatal period

One of the basic causes of depressive symptoms is problems with adaptation to the changing conditions of current life. A period of life in which major changes occur in pregnancy and postpartum. These changes are primarily related to circadian rhythm disturbances. In adapting to living conditions, the attitude to time is of fundamental importance. The aim of the present study was to examine associations between circadian rhythms disruptions, time perspective, and perinatal depressive symptoms among 37 women at three time points: in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and after delivery. Objective measures of sleep-wake behavior were obtained, including three 1-week actigraphy recordings. Self-reported disruptions in circadian rhythms were evaluated using the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory and the Dark Future Scale were used to assess balanced time perspective. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to measure perinatal depressive symptoms. Balanced time perspective was a moderator of the relationship between sleep efficiency, measured using actigraphs, and self-reported disruptions in circadian rhythms. Moreover, the less balanced time perspective, the more disruptions in circadian rhythms and the more depressive symptoms women reported. The results suggest that balanced time perspective may function as a protective factor, mitigating the adverse effects of sleep disturbances during pregnancy and after childbirth.