--- title: Does sleep get worse before your period? | Niyora description: Yes. Sleep efficiency dropped by 5% and total sleep time was 25 minutes less in the week before the period compared with the week before that. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/actigraphy-defined-measures-of-sleep-and-movement-across-the-menstrual-cycle-in-2015/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does sleep get worse before your period? Cohort study, 2015 # Does sleep get worse before your period? Yes. Sleep efficiency dropped by 5% and total sleep time was 25 minutes less in the week before the period compared with the week before that. Moderate study design 163 midlife women (58 African American, 78 white, 27 Chinese) with an average age of 51.5 years ## What they did A community study tracked sleep using wrist actigraphy (a sensor worn on the wrist that measures movement and sleep) in 163 women with an average age of 51.5 years across their menstrual cycles. ## What they found Sleep efficiency declined gradually across the entire menstrual cycle, with a pronounced decline in the fourth week (the premenstrual period). Compared with the third week, sleep efficiency declined by 5% (P < 0.0001) and total sleep time was 25 minutes less (P = 0.0002) in the fourth week. Sleep in the second and third weeks did not differ significantly. ## What it means for you Sleep gets meaningfully worse in the week before your period. Lifestyle factors like body weight, financial stress, marital status, and smoking also affected sleep changes, suggesting these factors may be important to address. 163 women studied 5% decline in sleep efficiency week 4 25 minutes less total sleep time week 4 ## About the study Original title Actigraphy-defined measures of sleep and movement across the menstrual cycle in midlife menstruating women: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Sleep Study Authors Zheng H, Harlow SD, Kravitz HM et al. Journal Menopause (New York, N.Y.) Year 2015 Study design Cohort study What was tested None (observation only) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000000249](https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000000249) ## Topics [Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2024 Does psychological distress in adolescence predict menstrual symptoms in adulthood? Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Survey study, 2026 What lifestyle and work factors are linked to PMDD symptoms in Chinese nurses? Survey study, 2026 What factors are linked with period pain in teenage girls in Ethiopia? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2025 What behavioral symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are most common? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗