# Optimizing a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Poor Sleep Quality During Pregnancy

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $29,144

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent during pregnancy, and is associated with increased risk of numerous
adverse maternal psychological and health outcomes. Despite this, there is limited research on interventions to
improve sleep during pregnancy. Further, prior research has not targeted the unique factors contributing to
poor sleep quality in this population, such as discomfort and pain. Mindfulness-based interventions, such as
mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting (MBCP), are particularly well-suited to improve psychological
responses to discomfort and pain, and pregnant women prefer non-pharmacological interventions due to
concerns about side effects. However, there is a paucity of research optimizing and evaluating mindfulness-
based interventions to improve prenatal sleep quality. To this end, the proposed project will optimize MBCP to
improve prenatal sleep quality (MBCP-PS) and conduct pilot testing. The candidate will use state-of-the-art
experience sampling methods to identify the psychological responses to nightly physical symptoms that are
most robustly associated with poor sleep quality during pregnancy. Based on these findings and feedback from
focus groups, the candidate will select MBCP components to maximally impact the identified targets. Finally,
the candidate will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of MBCP-PS versus treatment as usual to
investigate safety, acceptability, adherence, and feasibility, and examine preliminary evidence of change in
psychological responses to nightly physical symptoms, and associations with sleep quality. Findings will
provide preliminary data for an R61/R33 application to further optimize MBCP-PS and conduct an adequately
powered randomized controlled trial. The proposed Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development
Award (Parent K23) provides substantive hands-on experiences and training in: 1) delivery and research of
mindfulness-based and other mind-body interventions, 2) mechanism-focused intervention development and
analysis, 3) women's perinatal health, and 4) sleep physiology, assessment, and intervention. The candidate
will carry out the proposed work within an outstanding research environment. She has assembled an
exceptional team of renowned mentors and specialized advisors with deep expertise on these topics to closely
guide her proposed projects, and who are dedicated to her career development. The proposed award will
provide the candidate with the in-depth experiences needed to establish an independent program of research
focused on optimizing and evaluating mindfulness-based interventions for promoting women's health during
the perinatal period.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10249487
- **Project number:** 3K23AT009896-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer Nicole Felder
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $29,144
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-06-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10249487

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10249487, Optimizing a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Poor Sleep Quality During Pregnancy (3K23AT009896-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10249487. Licensed CC0.

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