Effects of menopausal status on sleep in midlife women.
Disturbed sleep is a common complaint of midlife women often attributed to menopause, though few studies have examined direct effects of menopausal status on sleep. Our objective was to assess this issue in healthy midlife women. We examined sleep polysomnographically on 2 consecutive nights in 25 women (ages 45 - 56 yrs) without sleep complaints (13 pre-menopausal; 12 post-menopausal). Groups differed in Stage 1% (lower in post-menopausal) and slow wave sleep latency (shorter in post-menopausal). Subjective sleep reports did not differ. Age correlated negatively with Stage 1% and positively with Stage 4%. These results indicate that menopausal status plays a minimal role in sleep quality and sleep stage distribution in healthy midlife women without sleep complaints.
Sharkey
Katherine M
KM
Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Bearpark
Helen M
HM
Acebo
Christine
C
Millman
Richard P
RP
Cavallo
Anita
A
Carskadon
Mary A
MA
D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone