title: Effects of progesterone on sleep: a possible pharmacological treatment for sleep-breathing disorders?
abstract: Progesterone is present in a wide spectrum of biological activity within a variety of tissues. This hormone is also known to affect reproduction, sleep quality, respiration, mood, appetite, learning, memory and sexual activity. Progesterone exerts a sleep induction or hypnotic effect and is a potent respiratory stimulant that has been associated to a decrease in the number of central and obstructive sleep apnea episodes in men. The literature also contains a substantial amount of data on the effect of apnea in women with obesity-hypoventilation during menopause. This review attempts to outline the specific role of progesterone in normal sleep and breathing as well as its possible therapeutic effects in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), R. Napoleão de Barros, 925, V. Clementino 04024-002, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. mandersen@psicobio.epm.br
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: L R A
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone