Survey study, 2021
Does premenstrual syndrome affect sleep quality?
Yes. Women with PMS had shorter total sleep time, took longer to fall asleep, and had worse sleep quality scores than women without PMS.
What they did
This cross-sectional study of 265 women measured premenstrual syndrome symptoms and sleep quality using standard questionnaires, and also asked about lifestyle factors including coffee intake, smoking, exercise, and alcohol use.
What they found
Premenstrual syndrome occurred in 57% of participants (150 out of 265). Women with PMS had shorter sleep time, needed more time to fall asleep, and had higher poor sleep quality scores. Women with PMS also reported more coffee intake and more regular exercise.
What it means for you
Premenstrual syndrome is clearly linked to poor sleep quality. Better sleep is one way PMS might affect quality of life. The study measured these factors at one point in time, so we cannot know if PMS causes poor sleep or poor sleep causes PMS.
57%
had premenstrual syndrome
265
total women in study
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual Syndrome as a Sleep Disturbing Factor: A Cross-Sectional Study
- Authors
- Övsen Önay, Canset Aydın
- Journal
- Acta Medica
- Year
- 2021
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 265
- What was tested
- None - this was an observational study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.32552/2021.actamedica.561
Original abstract
Objective: To evaluate the lifestyle factors possibly related with premenstrual syndrome which were body mass index, coffee intake, smoking, regular physical exercise, and alcohol consumption, and investigate the impact of these lifestyle factors and premenstrual syndrome on sleep quality. Methods and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 265 participants, and all applied Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Premenstrual Syndrome Scale questionnaires. Results: The prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among the participants was 57% (n:150). Participants with premenstrual syndrome had shorter total sleep time (p:0.001). Also, they needed longer time to fall asleep (p:0.001). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores of the participants with premenstrual syndrome were higher than those without premenstrual syndorme (p<0.001), indicating poor sleep quality. It was observed that the participants with premenstrual syndrome had more coffee intake (p:0.040) and more regular physical activity (p:0.009), which were risk factors of premenstrual syndrome. premenstrual syndrome positivity was associated with increased poor sleep quality in both univariate and multivariate analyses (OR:5.93 95% CI: 3.46-10.15, p<0.001; OR:5.61 95% CI: 3.19-9.88, p<0.001, respectively). The remaining variables, which were risk factors of premenstrual syndrome, didn’t have any statistically significant association with sleep quality. Conclusion: The important relation between premenstrual syndrome and sleep quality is highlighted. Relief of premenstrual syndrome complaints may lead to better sleep quality and enhancement of quality of life for a woman.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
Related studies
Survey study, 2020
How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students?
Cohort study, 2026
Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife?
Survey study, 2026
Does light exposure, exercise, and meal timing affect PMS severity?
Survey study, 2026
Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health?
Cohort study, 2026
Are diet and lifestyle linked to premenstrual symptoms in college students?
Survey study, 2026
What factors most strongly drive PMS severity in female engineering students?