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Sleep and female reproduction
Sydney Kaye Willis1, Elizabeth Elliott Hatch, Lauren Anne Wise
1Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology
|May 15, 2019
Summary
Poor sleep quality and short sleep duration negatively impact female reproduction. Further research is needed to understand the complex links between sleep disturbances and reproductive health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Science
- Sleep Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sleep disturbances are increasingly prevalent.
- Poor sleep and short sleep duration may negatively affect circadian rhythms and female reproduction.
- Evidence suggests a link between sleep disorders and reproductive health issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent literature on the association between sleep disturbances and female reproduction.
- To evaluate the impact of sleep quality and duration on reproductive health.
- To synthesize current understanding of sleep's role in female fertility and pregnancy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies.
- Analysis of epidemiologic research on sleep and reproduction.
- Synthesis of evidence on potential biological mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Suggestive evidence links sleep disorders to menstrual irregularity, subfertility/infertility, and adverse pregnancy/birth outcomes.
- Mechanisms may involve circadian disruption, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
- Limited epidemiologic research exists, highlighting a need for more studies.
Conclusions:
- Sleep disturbances significantly influence female reproduction.
- Further epidemiologic research is essential to confirm these associations.
- Future studies should employ prospective designs and objective sleep measures.
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