Survey study, 2004
How does the menstrual cycle affect sleep problems in women?
Sleep problems in women are connected to hormone changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. Medical systems recognize premenstrual insomnia and oversleeping as sleep disorders linked to the cycle.
What they did
This is a review of research on sleep disorders in women at different ages, including effects of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.
What they found
Young and older women have different patterns of sleep problems linked to hormones. Sleep disturbances across the menstrual cycle are hard to measure consistently, but medical systems recognize premenstrual insomnia and premenstrual oversleeping as sleep disorders. During pregnancy and after birth, large hormone changes cause significant sleep disruption. During menopause, sleep is disrupted by breathing problems, hot flashes, and mood changes. Women with chronic insomnia are at higher risk for depression.
What it means for you
Sleep problems are common in women across many life stages and are linked to hormone changes. This knowledge can help doctors recognize premenstrual sleep problems as medical conditions needing treatment. The main limitation is that this is a review of past research, not new data, so it may not include all newer treatments.
About the study
- Original title
- Women and insomnia
- Authors
- Miller EH
- Journal
- Clinical cornerstone
- Year
- 2004
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None (review article).
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s1098-3597(04)80015-2
Topics
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