---
title: Is melatonin released differently at night in women with premenstrual syndrome?
description: Yes. In this small study, women with PMS had melatonin release that switched off earlier at night and lasted a shorter time than in women without PMS, but the
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/altered-waveform-of-plasma-nocturnal-melatonin-secretion-in-premenstrual-1990/
---

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- Is melatonin released differently at night in women with premenstrual syndrome?

Case-control study, 1990

# Is melatonin released differently at night in women with premenstrual syndrome?

Yes. In this small study, women with PMS had melatonin release that switched off earlier at night and lasted a shorter time than in women without PMS, but the study was very small so this needs confirming in bigger groups.

 Early or limited evidence

8 women with confirmed premenstrual syndrome and 8 healthy women matched for age and menstrual cycle phase.

## What they did

Researchers took blood samples every 30 minutes overnight (6pm to 9am) to measure melatonin in 8 women with confirmed premenstrual syndrome and 8 similar healthy women (matched for age and cycle timing). They did this at four points across the menstrual cycle: early follicular, late follicular, midluteal, and late luteal.

## What they found

Women with PMS had an earlier (phase-advanced) switch-off of melatonin at night, which meant melatonin was released for a shorter time and the overall amount (area under the curve) was lower than in healthy women. There was no significant difference between the groups in when melatonin started, its peak level, or in estradiol or progesterone levels.

## What it means for you

This points to a possible body-clock (circadian) problem in PMS, which fits with reports that some PMS treatments affecting circadian rhythm, like light therapy or sleep deprivation, can help. The study only looked at 8 women per group, so the findings are preliminary and cannot show that the melatonin change causes PMS.

8

Women with PMS studied

8

Matched healthy controls

4

Cycle phases sampled

## About the study

Original title Altered waveform of plasma nocturnal melatonin secretion in premenstrual depression Authors Parry BL, Berga SL, Kripke DF et al. Journal Archives of general psychiatry Year 1990 Study design Case-control study What was tested No treatment tested; this was an observational comparison of overnight melatonin levels. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1990.01810240059010](https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1990.01810240059010)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Light therapy and sleep deprivation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-light-therapy/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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