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Sleep quality and the menstrual cycle.

Sarah E Romans1, David Kreindler2, Gillian Einstein3

  • 1University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand.

Sleep Medicine
|March 10, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Women

Keywords:
Adult womenExerciseMenstrual cycle phasePhysical healthSocial supportSubjective sleep quality

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Sleep Science
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology

Background:

  • Contradictory findings exist regarding sleep quality and menstrual cycle phase.
  • Previous studies often utilized student samples, limiting generalizability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the temporal relationship between subjective sleep quality and menstrual cycle phase.
  • To examine these associations in a community-based sample of adult women.

Main Methods:

  • A 24-week prospective cohort study involving daily electronic data collection.
  • 76 women (aged 18-42) from the Greater Toronto Area participated.
  • Data included mood, sleep quality, and health variables.

Main Results:

  • Subjective sleep quality was poorer during the premenstrual phase compared to midcycle.
  • This difference was statistically significant but of minimal clinical significance.
  • The association became non-significant when perceived stress and social support were included.

Conclusions:

  • While premenstrual sleep quality is statistically poorer, it lacks clinical significance in this cohort.
  • Perceived stress and social support appear to confound the relationship between menstrual cycle and sleep quality.