Sleep disturbances in women during menopausal transition and menopause

Abstract

Background: Sleep disturbances are common in women during menopausal transition and menopause and are characterized by difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, problems in waking up and daytime sleepiness. Sleep disturbances occurs despite adequate opportunity for sleep. Vasomotor symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue and mood swings also occur along with disruption of sleep architecture. Objective: To assess the sleep pattern in women in menopausal transition and menopause. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 270 women who were recruited for the study. They were divided into four groups. A questionnaire based assessment of sleep disturbance was done on these women. Result: Sleep problems were more severe in women in menopausal transition and menopause in comparison to premenopausal women. Conclusion: Fall in estrogen levels leading to vasomotor symptoms in these women which could be the main reason for sleep disturbances.