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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Endocrinology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Psychosomatic Medicine

Background:

  • Decades of research acknowledge menstrual cycle phase impacts sleep.
  • However, individual variations in sleep-menstrual phase associations remain understudied.
  • The interplay between sleep changes and other cyclical physiological/psychological factors needs thorough assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate individual differences in self-reported sleep difficulty throughout the menstrual cycle.
  • To explore associations between daily sleep changes and psychological/vegetative and somatic symptoms.
  • To identify distinct patterns of sleep disruption related to the menstrual cycle.

Main Methods:

  • Daily online questionnaires assessed sleep, psychological, and physical symptoms.
  • 213 female participants (mean age 21.29 ± 4.01 years) completed surveys for two menstrual cycles.
  • Data analysis focused on identifying cyclical patterns and symptom associations.

Main Results:

  • Two primary patterns of menstrual cycle-related sleep difficulty emerged: perimenstrual increase and mid-cycle increase.
  • A subset of participants exhibited no cyclical change in sleep difficulty.
  • Significant associations were found between sleep difficulty and all psychological/vegetative symptoms, as well as some somatic symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Individual differences in sleep patterns across the menstrual cycle are significant.
  • Psychological/vegetative and somatic symptoms substantially contribute to menstrual cycle-related sleep disturbances.
  • Further research should prioritize personalized approaches to understanding and managing sleep during the menstrual cycle.