Predictors of sleep quality in women in the menopausal transition.
OBJECTIVE
To determine associations between menopausal status, reproductive hormone levels, menopausal symptoms, and poor sleep quality.


METHODS
The present study examines subjective sleep quality over an 8-year period in participants in an ongoing longitudinal study of ovarian aging in a randomly identified cohort of African American and Caucasian women.


METHODS
The Penn Ovarian Aging Study, a population-based cohort of 436 women from Philadelphia County who were 35 to 47 years of age and had regular menstrual cycles at enrollment.


METHODS
N/A.


RESULTS
The primary outcome measure was the Sleep Quality factor score, derived from the St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire, which was adapted for this population and collected at each assessment period over the 8-year follow-up. Associations between menopausal status, reproductive hormone levels, menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, age, and race were examined in multivariable linear mixed regression models for repeated measures. Menopausal status was not significantly associated with sleep quality (P = 0.12). In the adjusted model, independent predictors of sleep quality were hot flashes (P < 0.0001), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale scores (P < 0.0001) and levels of the reproductive hormone inhibin B (P = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep quality was predicted by hormone levels and symptoms that occur in the menopausal transition but did not worsen with advancing menopausal status alone. Lower inhibin B levels, hot flashes, and symptoms of depression were all strong and independent predictors of difficulty sleeping. Race was not a significant contributor to sleep quality. Together, the findings demonstrate that women who experience other perimenopausal symptoms are likely to experience sleep problems during the menopausal transition.
Pien
Grace W
GW
Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. gpien@mail.med.upenn.edu
Sammel
Mary D
MD
Freeman
Ellen W
EW
Lin
Hui
H
DeBlasis
Tracey L
TL
D000328:Adult; D002979:Climacteric / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone