the effect of mindfulness-based counseling on sleep quality women with a history of covid-19 in pregnancy

Background: during the covid-19 outbreak, certain populations, including pregnant women, were particularly vulnerable. this increased susceptibility could lead to postnatal complications, including sleep disorders, which are common in the postpartum period. objectives: to determine the effect of mindfulness-based counseling on sleep quality in women with a history of covid-19 during pregnancy. methods: this quasi-experimental study utilized a pre- and post-consultation design and included 100 women with a history of covid-19 during pregnancy. using convenience sampling, participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and the pittsburgh sleep quality index. the intervention group received eight weekly mindfulness-based counseling sessions, each lasting 45 minutes, conducted via social messenger by the researcher. outcomes were assessed eight weeks after the final counseling session. results: the two study groups were comparable in terms of demographic characteristics. in the intervention group, mean sleep quality scores improved from 7.28 ± 0.99 at the beginning to 4.28 ± 0.79 at the end of the study (95%ci: 2.18 to 3.81, md = 3, p = 0.002). in the control group, scores changed from 6.94 ± 0.84 to 6.76 ± 0.71 (95%ci: - 0.20 to 0.33, md = 0.18, p = 0.820). comparing the groups after counseling, the intervention group had a mean sleep quality score of 4.28 ± 0.79, while the control group had 6.76 ± 0.71 (95%ci: 1.68 to 3.31, md = 2.50, p < 0.001). conclusions: mindfulness-based counseling positively affected sleep quality in the intervention group. utilizing existing social networking platforms for such interventions can effectively improve sleep quality in women.