Cohort study, 2024
How does sleep change across your menstrual cycle?
Sleep was best during the mid-to-late follicular phase (when estrogen is rising) compared to menstruation and the luteal phase. This is fairly clear evidence from 96 women.
What they did
96 women had one night of sleep monitored with polysomnography (brain and body monitoring) during three different cycle phases: menstruation, mid-to-late follicular phase, and luteal phase. They completed questionnaires on sleep quality, mood, and fatigue. Blood tests measured inflammation markers.
What they found
Sleep efficiency was highest in the mid-to-late follicular phase (89.9%) compared to menstrual (83.0%) and luteal (83.7%) phases. Women fell asleep faster in the mid-to-late follicular phase (7.1 minutes) versus menstrual (22.3 minutes) and luteal (15.9 minutes) phases. No differences were found in inflammation markers, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, depression, or quality of life.
What it means for you
Your sleep is likely to be better in the mid-to-late part of your cycle when estrogen is higher. However, this was based on a single night of monitored sleep per woman, so it may not reflect your typical sleep patterns.
96
women
89.9%
sleep efficiency in follicular phase
83.0%
sleep efficiency in menstrual phase
About the study
- Original title
- How do phases of the menstrual cycle affect sleep? A polysomnographic study of the EPISONO database
- Authors
- Ishikura IA, Moysés-Oliveira M, Fernandes GL et al.
- Journal
- Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 96
- What was tested
- Sleep monitoring (polysomnography) during different menstrual cycle phases
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s11325-024-02996-4
Topics
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