How do phases of the menstrual cycle affect sleep? A polysomnographic study of the EPISONO database

• Published in: Sleep & breathing 2024-06, Vol.28 (3), p.1399-1407
• Main Authors: Ishikura, Isabela A., Moysés-Oliveira, Mariana, Fernandes, Guilherme Luiz, Hachul, Helena, Tufik, Sergio, Andersen, Monica L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; C-reactive protein; Cohort Studies; Daytime; Dentistry; Depression; Fatigue; Fatigue - physiopathology; Female; Follicular Phase - physiology; Humans; Inflammation; Insomnia; Interleukin 6; Internal Medicine; Latency; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Menstrual cycle; Menstrual Cycle - physiology; Menstruation; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neurology • Original Article; Otorhinolaryngology; Pediatrics; Pneumology/Respiratory System; Polysomnography; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Sleep; Sleep and wakefulness; Sleep disorders; Sleep Quality; Statistical analysis; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1520-9512; 1522-1709; 1522-1709
• DOI: 10.1007/s11325-024-02996-4

Purpose Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of the menstrual cycle stages, especially menses, on sleep, inflammatory mediators, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Methods We used data from the EPISONO study cohort, selecting 96 women who had undergone one-night polysomnography. The women were distributed in three groups according to the time point of the menstrual cycle on the polysomnography night: menses, mid/late follicular phase, and luteal phase. The volunteers completed questionnaires related to sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Blood samples were collected to analyze interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein. Results Sleep efficiency was statistically higher in women in the mid/late follicular group (89.9% ± 9.6) compared to menstrual (83.0% ± 10.8) and luteal (83.7% ± 12.7) groups. The mid/late follicular group presented a statistically significant reduction in sleep onset latency (7.1 ± 7.1 min) compared to the menstrual (22.3 ± 32.4 min) and luteal groups (15.9 ± 14.7 min). No statistical differences among the three groups were observed in other polysomnographic parameters, inflammatory mediators, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that the mid/late follicular phase might be beneficial for women’s sleep, although there were no statistically changes in inflammatory mediators among the groups.