SLEEP AND BREATHING, cilt.25, sa.4, ss.1977-1985, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
Background Infertility is a major health problem that affects both the family and the community. Women receiving infertility treatment may suffer from stress and even experience sleep disturbance. Sleep quality is an important factor of human health and well-being. Sleep disturbances tend to occur among infertile women during in vitro fertilization treatment. Many studies have focused on the stress and sleep quality associated with their treatment in infertile women. However, few studies have investigated factors linked to their sleep disturbances. Objective This study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and sleep quality before oocyte pick-up, in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, and pregnancy test in women receiving in vitro fertilization treatment. Material and methods This prospective, longitudinal study was conducted between January and May 2020. One hundred fifty-seven women receiving infertility treatment were included in the study. A personal information form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to collect data. Results The relationship between the Perceived Stress Scale scores and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores in all stages of infertility treatment was found to be positively significant at the p < .001 significance level. Conclusion Perceived stress level was high in women throughout the infertility treatment. Our study suggested that sleep quality was impaired as stress increased.