Peri- and post-menopausal women frequently complain of insomnia or poor sleep quality. Sleep disturbance is often attributed to nocturnal hot flashes; however, a recent study from researchers at Wayne State University School of Medicine suggests that about half of these women may have a primary sleep disorder.
In this study, 102 women (ages 44 to 56 years) reporting disrupted sleep were recruited through newspaper advertisements. They were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Rating Scales and completed one night of polysomnography in a controlled laboratory setting.
53% of the women were found to have a primary sleep disorder (sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or both). The best predictors of objective sleep quality (laboratory sleep efficiency) were apneas, periodic limb movements, and brief arousals. The best predictors of subjective sleep quality (as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score) were the Hamilton anxiety score and the number of hot flashes in the first half of the night.
These findings suggest that while nocturnal hot flushes may be the cause of sleep disruption in many peri- and postmenopausal women, many of these women have an underlying primary sleep disorder, like restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea. Thus interventions that are intended to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flushes may not be fully effective for a significant number of women. The authors recommend that for peri- and postmenopausal women presenting with sleep problems, clinicians must take a comprehensive sleep history to rule out a primary sleep disorder and, if necessary, obtain polysomnography to confirm the diagnosis.
Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD
Freedman RR and Roehrs TA. Sleep disturbance in menopause. Menopause 2007; 14:826-9.
4 Comments
I have (once again) been up since 4am. I am going thru surgically induced menopause since May. I have never had sleeping problems. Since the hysterectomy, I wake up sweating every night. I sleep with the air conditioner and a fan on me. I have not had a full night sleep since the surgery on May 9th. I have even tried to take the sleeping pill Ambien (no relief)….. I am exhausted!!!
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i m passing thru the menopause phase of my life now. i ve never had any problem with sleep but now i hadly sleep well alnight long. even when i fall sleep, i wake up sweating all over and having hot flashes.i am 47years old
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I can relate. I am experiencing hot flashes on a regular basis to the point that I can barely wear a winter coat! I am a mess because I am missing so many of hours of sleep per week due to terrible sleep patterns. I have taken Ambien and sometimes I will get a pretty decent nights sleep, other times, no. I am going to see my doc as I cannot function with half a brain like this any longer!
I know you posted in August and I hope you have resolved this by now! good luck.
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I have just started with hot flashes and am sick of night after night having to throw covers off when I wake up covered in perspiration. How can anyone say that when you go into the menopausal stage of life that the hot flashes and sleepless nights could be another underlying problem when the majority of women only start with this when menopause occurs.What I would like to find out is if there is some natural remedy that has been found to help eleviate these problem without having to consider HRT or anti-depressants which can often have other side effects. I am 50 years old and am dreading the thought of the months or even years of the effects and symptoms of the menopause!
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