Objective and subjective sleep quality in premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVE
Assess objectively measured sleep quality in premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Observational epidemiology study.


METHODS
Community-based.


METHODS
Probability sample of 589 premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women recruited from state employee records.


METHODS
None.


RESULTS
Menopausal status was determined by menstrual history, surgical history, and use of hormone replacement therapy. Sleep quality was objectively measured by full in-laboratory polysomnography and by self-reported sleep problems. Linear and logistic regression were used to estimate associations adjusted for potential confounding factors.


OBJECTIVE
Sleep quality was not worse in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women, compared with premenopausal women. To the contrary, postmenopausal woman had more deep sleep (16% vs 13% stages 3/4, P < 0.001) and significantly longer total sleep time (388 minutes vs 374 minutes, P = 0.05). Menopausal status was moderately related to self-reported dissatisfaction with sleep but was not consistently associated with symptoms of insomnia or sleepiness.


CONCLUSIONS
Menopause is not associated with diminished sleep quality measured by polysomnography. Although perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, relative to premenopausal women, were less satisfied with their sleep, menopause was not a strong predictor of specific sleep-disorder symptoms. Symptoms and signs of sleep abnormalities in midlife women should not be attributed primarily to menopause before ruling out underlying sleep disorders.
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. tbyoung@facstaff.wisc.edu
Terry
T
Young
David
D
Rabago
Aleksandra
A
Zgierska
Diane
D
Austin
Finn
F
Laurel
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002979:Climacteric / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011336:Probability; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000502:physiology