Morningness/Eveningness and menstrual symptoms in adolescent females

Two types of sleep preference have been supported in the literature. Morning types awaken early and are refreshed upon waking, whereas Evening types rise later and have more erratic sleep schedules. Sleep affects menstrual functioning in adult women. However, there is scant research on the association between sleep preference and menstrual functioning in adolescents. Thus, the present study examined the association between sleep preference and menstrual functioning in 210 adolescent girls (11-17 years old).

Data represent baseline measures from a longitudinal study examining the association of psychological functioning and smoking with reproductive and bone health. Measures included the Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ), regularity and duration of menstrual cycles, and the Morningness/Eveningness scale (measuring sleep preference). MSQ factor scores were used in analyses: abdominal pain, negative affect/somatic complaints, back pain, and anxiety/fatigue.

The results from hierarchical linear regression analyses showed significant associations between Evening preference and more symptoms of abdominal pain (P<.01), negative affect/somatic complaints (P<.01), anxiety/fatigue (P<.01), and shorter menses (P<.05).

Adolescent girls with Evening preference experience more menstrual symptoms than those with Morning preference. Future research should include sleep preference in studies of health and behavior particularly in adolescence when there is a normative shift toward Evening preference.