--- title: Does poor sleep make PMS and period pain worse in teenage girls? description: Yes. Poor sleep quality, very short sleep (less than 5 hours), and late bedtimes all affected premenstrual and period symptoms, with sleep quality being the m url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-sleep-pattern-duration-and-quality-on-premenstrual-syndrome-and-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does poor sleep make PMS and period pain worse in teenage girls? Survey study, 2023 # Does poor sleep make PMS and period pain worse in teenage girls? Yes. Poor sleep quality, very short sleep (less than 5 hours), and late bedtimes all affected premenstrual and period symptoms, with sleep quality being the most important factor. Early or limited evidence 519 Korean high school girls aged 15-18 during COVID-19 lockdown in 2021 ## What they did Asked 519 Korean high school girls aged 15-18 about their sleep patterns and quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021. They measured menstrual symptoms and PMS using standardized questionnaires and examined the relationship between sleep and symptoms. ## What they found Approximately 68% of girls slept 7 hours or less, and about 60% reported poor sleep quality. Girls with late bedtimes after 1AM, waking after 8AM, or sleeping less than 5 hours had more menstrual symptoms and PMS symptoms. Even after accounting for other factors like stress, sleep quality remained significantly linked to PMS. ## What it means for you Better sleep habits may help reduce PMS and period pain in teenagers. The main limitation is that this was studied during the pandemic in one country, so sleep patterns may have been unusual. 68% Girls sleeping 7 hours or less 60% Girls with poor sleep quality 64% Girls with bedtime after 1AM ## About the study Original title Effects of sleep pattern, duration, and quality on premenstrual syndrome and primary dysmenorrhea in korean high school girls Authors Jeong D, Lee H, Kim J Journal BMC women's health Year 2023 Study design Survey study Participants 519 What was tested None; this was an observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02600-z](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02600-z) Original abstract Background: Sleep deprivation is known to be a risk factor for premenstrual syndrome and primary dysmenorrhea in adults. However, it has rarely been investigated in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sleep pattern, duration, and quality independently affect premenstrual syndrome and primary dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls. An additional purpose was to investigate the sleep status in Korean adolescent girls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in 519 high school girls aged 15 to 18 years in Gyeonggido, South Korea, in 2021 during the COVID-19 lockdown. Menstrual pain intensity and menstrual symptoms were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS), respectively. Premenstrual syndrome was assessed by the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST). Sleep was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The known risk factors of dysmenorrhea, including menstrual and lifestyle characteristics and stress, were assessed as covariates. Results: During the pandemic, approximately 68% of girls slept 7 h or less, while about 60% reported poor sleep quality. Additionally, 64% of participants had a bedtime later after 1AM, and 34% woke up later after 8AM. Late bedtime significantly affected VAS (P = 0.05), CMSS severity and frequency (both P < 0.01), and PSST symptom (P < 0.01). Waking up late affected CMSS severity (P < 0.05), PSST symptom (P = 0.05), and PSST function (P < 0.05). However, the significance of these effects disappeared after controlling for covariates. Sleeping less than 5 h affected CMSS frequency (P < 0.05) and PSST symptoms (P < 0.001). After controlling for covariates, the significance of the effect on PSST symptom remained (P < 0.05). General sleep quality and PSQI components, including subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction, significantly affected CMSS frequency and severity and PSST symptom after controlling for covariates (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, or P < 0.001). The multiple regression analysis revealed that among sleep characteristics, sleep quality was the most important risk factor of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: Our study result heightens the importance of healthy sleep hygiene, especially sleep quality in the management of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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. ## Related studies Survey study, 2019 What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls? Survey study, 2022 How common is PMS in university students and what helps them cope with symptoms? Survey study, 2019 What factors affect PMS severity in teenage girls? Survey study, 2005 Does being a morning or evening person affect premenstrual symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Cohort study, 2024 Is there a link between sleep and menstrual problems in teenage girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗