Cisgender women typically experience perimenopause four to eight years before entering menopause, with about 47% of perimenopausal women experiencing sleep disorders. Perimenopause typically starts in a woman’s early 40s but can begin as early as the mid-30s. During this phase, a woman’s ovaries produce less estrogen, leading to irregular menstrual cycles and symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, low sex drive, mood swings, and sleeping issues. Addressing sleep problems during perimenopause is crucial for improving overall well-being.
A new study presented at the 2024 annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society suggests a link between estrogen levels and sleeping issues in perimenopausal women. The study, led by Amy Divaraniya, PhD, recruited 503 perimenopausal women to track their sleep patterns using Oova’s at-home hormone monitoring kit. The researchers found that women who reported sleeping six to nine hours a night had higher levels of estrogen compared to those who slept three to six hours. This correlation suggests a potential pathway between estrogen levels and sleep quality, which could lead to improved interventions for perimenopausal women.
The study revealed no significant differences in levels of other hormones like luteinizing hormone and progesterone across different sleep durations. Based on these findings, Divaraniya believes that interventions aimed at improving sleep during perimenopause could help mitigate the impact of hormonal changes. Developing a better understanding of the physiological pathway associated with sleep disturbances in perimenopausal women is key to creating effective solutions for managing symptoms like difficulty sleeping during this transition.
Amy Divaraniya highlighted the importance of tracking sleep hours and hormone patterns for women navigating the perimenopausal transition, as a reduction in estrogen levels during restless nights could explain sleep difficulties. Sherry Ross, MD, a Women’s Health Expert, emphasized the need to prioritize research on sleep disruption in perimenopause and understand the connection to estrogen fluctuations during this hormonal cycle. More extensive research with larger patient populations is needed to address various perimenopausal symptoms and identify treatment options.
It is crucial to conduct further analyses across various symptoms tracked on Oova’s platform to identify hormonal patterns that could provide better support for perimenopausal women. If hormonal relationships with symptoms like sleep disturbances can be uncovered, it could lead to more targeted interventions to improve women’s quality of life during perimenopause. Understanding the impact of estrogen fluctuations on sleep during the perimenopausal transition is essential for developing effective interventions and treatment strategies to address common symptoms experienced by women during this phase of life.
