Pharmacologic Treatment of Sleep Disorders in Pregnancy

Sleep disorders, such as primary and secondary insomnia and RLS, have increased prevalence in pregnancy, whereas others, such as narcolepsy, have unique relationships with certain aspects of pregnancy, including delivery.1 The roles of both mother and fetus in pregnancy affect provider consideration of sleep disorder outcome as well as treatment choice. Providers must keep in mind that literature on the use of sleep medications in pregnancy is often sparse or nonexistent.(15) Therefore, pharmacologic treatment of sleep disorders in pregnancy must include an individualized assessment of the potential risk of untreated disease for both mother and infant compared with the risks and benefits of maternal and fetal pharmacologic exposure.