--- title: What mood and thinking changes are linked to premenstrual sleep and eating problems? description: Low interest and apathy are linked to worse insomnia and eating changes in the week before a period. These sleep problems are also linked to problems at work, url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/behavioral-symptomatology-in-the-premenstruum-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What mood and thinking changes are linked to premenstrual sleep and eating problems? Study, 2022 # What mood and thinking changes are linked to premenstrual sleep and eating problems? Low interest and apathy are linked to worse insomnia and eating changes in the week before a period. These sleep problems are also linked to problems at work, in hobbies, and in relationships. Moderate study design 57 women of reproductive age ## What they did 57 women tracked their daily symptoms across 2-3 menstrual cycles. Researchers compared their symptoms in the week before their period to symptoms after bleeding started. They measured insomnia, appetite changes, and how much their symptoms affected work, hobbies, and relationships. ## What they found Women with low interest and apathy had bigger increases in insomnia and eating changes during the week before their period. Women with premenstrual insomnia reported more problems with work, hobbies, and relationships. ## What it means for you If you feel unmotivated or lose interest before your period and also have sleep problems, those may be connected. Sleep problems in the premenstrual phase can interfere with work and relationships. The study looked at connections but cannot prove that low interest causes sleep problems. The sample was also relatively small. 57 women tracked 156 menstrual cycles tracked 2-3 menstrual cycles per woman ## About the study Original title Behavioral Symptomatology in the Premenstruum Authors Dang N, Khalil D, Sun J et al. Journal Brain sciences Year 2022 Study design Study What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12070814](https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12070814) Original abstract Objective: Sleep and eating behaviors are disturbed during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle in a significant number of reproductive-age women. Despite their impact on the development and control of chronic health conditions, these behaviors are poorly understood. In the present study, we sought to identify affective and psychological factors which associate with premenstrual changes in sleeping and eating behaviors and assess how they impact functionality. Methods: Fifty-seven women provided daily ratings of premenstrual symptomatology and functionality across two-three menstrual cycles (156 cycles total). For each participant and symptom, we subtracted the mean day +5 to +10 ("post-menstruum") ratings from mean day -6 to -1 ("pre-menstruum") ratings and divided this value by participant- and symptom-specific variance. We completed the statistical analysis using multivariate linear regression. Results: Low interest was associated with a premenstrual increase in insomnia ( p ≤ 0.05) and appetite/eating ( p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, insomnia was associated with occupational ( p ≤ 0.001), recreational ( p ≤ 0.001), and relational ( p ≤ 0.01) impairment. Conclusions: Results of the present analysis highlight the importance of apathy (i.e., low interest) on the expression of behavioral symptomatology, as well as premenstrual insomnia on impairment. These findings can inform treatment approaches, thereby improving care for patients suffering from premenstrual symptomatology linked to chronic disease conditions. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) 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 Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2020 How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students? Survey study, 2020 How common are premenstrual symptoms in secondary school students? Systematic review, 2025 Do nutritional interventions help with emotional symptoms of PMS? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Review, 2019 What is the current evidence for diagnosing and treating PMDD, especially in Indian women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗