Overview
- The mixed-methods study combined interviews with 41 mothers plus an analysis of more than 1.5 million U.S. deliveries from 2008–2021.
- In interviews, 73% of scheduled and 67% of unplanned C-sections involved severe, sleep-disrupting pain versus 8% after vaginal birth.
- Claims data indicated a 16% higher likelihood of a new sleep-disorder diagnosis between one month and one year postpartum for C-section patients.
- The results were presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2025 by lead author Moe Takenoshita of Stanford University Center for Academic Medicine.
- Researchers recommend adequate pain management, sleep-hygiene steps, and medical evaluation for ongoing sleep issues, noting roughly one-third of U.S. births are C-sections.