American journal of hypertension
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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the definition of daytime and nighttime on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in pregnancy. To determine the prevalence of a <10% decrease in mean arterial pressure with sleep (nondipper) in pregnancy and the consistency of nondipper status throughout pregnancy. In a prospective, longitudinal study, 102 pregnant woman underwent 24-h ABP monitoring and recorded sleep patterns at < or = 14, 19 to 22, 27 to 30, 35 to 37 weeks' gestation and 5 to 9 weeks' postpartum. ⋯ A third of women were nondippers at least once during pregnancy, but only two women were consistent nondippers. The different definitions of day and night did not change group ABP measurements, but resulted in significant variation in ABP measurements in individual pregnant women. Nondippers were common and nondipper status frequently changed during pregnancy.