Survey study, 2008
Do women with severe PMS have different heart rate patterns during sleep?
Yes. Women with severe PMS have different heart patterns during sleep, particularly during their premenstrual phase when symptoms occur. They have less activity in the part of the nervous system that normally helps the body rest and recover during sleep.
What they did
A study that measured heart rate patterns during sleep in 9 women with severe PMS and 12 healthy women without PMS. Heart rate was measured during both the time after ovulation (when women without PMS feel well) and the premenstrual phase (when PMS symptoms occur).
What they found
Women with severe PMS had shorter heart rate intervals during sleep in both phases of the cycle compared to healthy women. During their premenstrual phase, women with PMS showed lower overall heart rate variation and lower activity in the calming part of the nervous system during sleep compared to the time after ovulation. Healthy women showed no such difference between cycle phases.
What it means for you
Changes in how the nervous system controls the heart during sleep may be part of what causes severe PMS symptoms. However, the sample is very small, and the study does not explain whether these heart changes cause the symptoms or result from them.
9
Women with severe PMS
12
Healthy women in comparison group
About the study
- Original title
- Reduced parasympathetic activity during sleep in the symptomatic phase of severe premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Baker FC, Colrain IM, Trinder J
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 9
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.04.008
Topics
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