Menopause-Related Changes in Sleep and the Associations with Cardiometabolic Health: A Narrative Review

This narrative review examines the complex relationship between sleep changes during the menopausal transition and cardiometabolic risks. The most common complaint about sleep is increased awakenings during sleep. Other complaints include having trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, insufficient and non-restorative sleep, and overall poor quality. Sleep determined using objective methods also indicates that greater awakenings after sleep onset are associated with the period of menopausal transition. Polysomnography recordings suggest physiological hyperarousal during sleep. Changes in other sleep metrics, such as sleep latency and sleep duration, are less consistent, and some studies suggest they may not worsen during the menopausal transition. These sleep issues are influenced by multiple factors, such as hormonal fluctuations, vasomotor symptoms, and psychosocial factors, and evidence suggests that hypothalamic kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons are key underlying mechanisms for these associations. The menopausal transition is also associated with increases in cardiometabolic risk factors, such as body fat, altered lipid profiles, blood pressure, and vascular health. Emerging evidence suggests that poor sleep health during this period is associated with increased cardiometabolic risks and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Thus, addressing sleep disturbances is crucial for comprehensive healthcare during the menopausal transition to safeguard long-term cardiometabolic health. Future research is needed to investigate interventions that can improve sleep and their impact on cardiometabolic health in this population experiencing increases in cardiometabolic risk.