Effects of non-pharmacological interventions focused on sleep quality resulting in reduced binge eating in pregnant women: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Binge eating in pregnant women is often associated with insomnia, which compromises mental health and emotional balance. Non-pharmacological interventions that improve sleep quality, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), sleep hygiene, and Mindfulness, may be effective in reducing these episodes, providing emotional control and improving mental health. Objective: This study reviews the impact of sleep quality on reducing binge eating episodes in pregnant women, focusing on non-pharmacological interventions. Methodology: A search was carried out in the PubMed database, using the descriptors “Sleep quality/qualidade do sono“, “Binge eating/compulsive eating”, “Pregnant women/mulheres magras”, identifying nineteen studies. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten studies focused on CBT-I, sleep hygiene, and Mindfulness were selected. Articles that did not address the target audience, that did not analyze the relationship between sleep and binge eating, or that included pharmacological interventions were excluded. After rigorous screening, four studies were chosen for final analysis. Results: The results highlight that CBT-I is the most promising intervention to improve sleep quality and reduce binge eating, favoring emotional control, as response rates of the studied groups ranged from 2% for the treatment of bulimia nervosa (Thompson-Brenner, 2003) to 14% for generalized anxiety disorder (Hunot et al., 2007). Sleep hygiene and Mindfulness interventions also proved to be effective, being more accessible and complementary. Mindfulness, in particular, contributes to the reduction of stress and anxiety. Conclusion: CBT-I proved to be capable of improving sleep quality and controlling binge eating. Complementary approaches, such as sleep hygiene and Mindfulness, although with more subtle effects, may be promising, but do not present concrete data and results like CBT-I.