Eight Sleep Labs has released a study examining sleep, recovery, and preferred sleep temperature during pregnancy and postpartum – using data from its temperature-regulating Pod mattress topper.
The study analyzed 108 women nightly – spanning 12 weeks pre-conception and 6 months postpartum – collecting 46,000 nights of sleep data. Compared with existing wearable data, Pod users experienced smaller declines in sleep and recovery during pregnancy, while participants’ recovery improved after childbirth.
The research identified several trends in maternal sleep. Preferred Pod temperatures decreased approximately 4°F throughout pregnancy, with the greatest variation during the third trimester. Temperature adjustments were associated with improvements in strain, time asleep and in deep sleep, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability. The data also suggested that postpartum recovery often extends beyond the medically defined six-week period, with many women yet to return to their baseline levels at 24 weeks postpartum and beyond.
Eight Sleep’s latest research marks its third study in its Women’s Sleep Initiative, which has collected over 3 million hours of sleep data to understand and address how sleep needs differ.
“The goal is not just to produce more data,” said Eight Sleep Co-Founder Alexandra Zatarain. “It is to use that data to improve the night as it is happening.”
