Case-control study, 2017
Does heart rate change across your menstrual cycle if you have insomnia during menopause?
Yes. Women with insomnia in the menopausal transition have heart rates about 4 beats per minute higher than controls throughout both phases of the cycle.
What they did
Measured heart rate and heart rhythm during sleep in 21 women with insomnia and 25 control women, recording data during both the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle.
What they found
Heart rate was about 4 bpm higher in women with insomnia compared to controls in both follicular and luteal phases, including during undisturbed sleep. In all women, heart rate was higher during the luteal phase than the follicular phase.
What it means for you
Women with sleep problems during menopause may have higher nighttime heart rates throughout the menstrual cycle, with the second half of the cycle showing even higher rates. This could affect heart health risk. The main limitation is the small sample size and focus on women already in the menopausal transition.
4 bpm
Higher heart rate in insomnia group vs controls
21
Women with insomnia
25
Control women
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle-related variation in autonomic nervous system functioning in women in the early menopausal transition with and without insomnia disorder
- Authors
- de Zambotti M, Trinder J, Colrain IM et al.
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 21
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.009
Topics
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