Relationship Between Menopause And Sleep Problems Questioned

5/10/2002

From: Kimberly Van Brunt of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 507-287-6006

ROCHESTER, Minn., May 10 -- Many mothers (and their families) know about the discomforts of menopause - hot flashes, night sweats, sleepless nights-but new research suggests that the sleepless nights may indicate another problem altogether.

Middle-aged women's sleep complaints have long been attributed to their menopausal changes; however, no evidence actually exists to prove that the two phenomena are directly connected. Because of the traditional perception that menopause causes sleep problems, sleep researchers are concerned that some midlife women may have undiagnosed sleep disorders that have been overlooked by their physicians.

To study the relationship between sleep quality and menopause, lead researcher Dr. Terry Young, professor of Health Science at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, conducted an investigation using both objective and subjective sleep measures. The research was supported by the National Institute on Aging, and will be presented in June at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies' Annual Meeting in Seattle. Dr. Young studied a sample of 539 women, aged 30-60, determining sleep quality with polysomnography-a test that measures several aspects of sleep quality, including the relative amount of deep versus light sleep, and sleep fragmentation. They also asked the women to subjectively rate their sleep quality based on their perception of their sleep habits, as well as the usual satisfaction level with their sleep.

The study results showed, based on the polysomnography test, that the sleep quality of postmenopausal women was not worse when compared with women who had not gone through menopause. In fact, although some postmenopausal women reported some subjective dissatisfaction with the quality of their sleep, the tests showed that they had consistently more desirable sleep patterns than premenopausal women, including a greater proportion of restful sleep and significantly longer sleep time.

The results of Dr. Young's research show that symptoms of sleep disorders in midlife women should not be dismissed simply as a part of the hormonal changes associated with menopause. When it comes to sleep, as in life, women young and old should get equal treatment. If a postmenopausal woman has symptoms of a sleep disorder, she should be evaluated by a sleep specialist. This Mother's Day, give the mother in your life what she really needs-a good night's sleep.

The Associated Professional Sleep Societies' 16th Annual Meeting will be held June 8-13, in Seattle, Wash. For more information, please visit www.apss.org.