---
title: Do menstrual cycle phase and symptoms affect sleep in female footballers?
description: Menstrual cycle phase alone did not affect sleep. But more menstrual symptoms were linked to later bedtimes, longer total sleep, and more time awake.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/influence-of-menstrual-phase-and-symptoms-on-sleep-before-and-after-matches-for-2025/
---

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- Do menstrual cycle phase and symptoms affect sleep in female footballers?

Survey study, 2025

# Do menstrual cycle phase and symptoms affect sleep in female footballers?

Menstrual cycle phase alone did not affect sleep. But more menstrual symptoms were linked to later bedtimes, longer total sleep, and more time awake.

 Early or limited evidence

23 professional female footballers not using hormonal contraception, from four clubs

## What they did

23 professional footballers not using hormonal contraception wore actigraphy devices to measure sleep over up to four menstrual cycles during a league season. Menstrual phase was determined by calendar and urine tests. Each match evening, women rated 18 menstrual symptoms. Sleep quality was rated each morning. Objective sleep was measured before, during, and after matches.

## What they found

Bedtime was significantly later on match nights. More menstrual symptoms were linked to later wake times and longer total sleep time. More severe lower back pain was linked to later wake times. More severe mood changes and anxiety were linked to longer total sleep. Menstrual cycle phase was not linked to any sleep measures.

## What it means for you

Menstrual cycle phase alone does not explain sleep changes in female athletes, but menstrual symptoms do affect sleep, particularly around match times. The study only looked at professional footballers in one sport, so results may not apply to other athletes or non-athletes.

23

professional footballers

4

menstrual cycles monitored

18

symptoms tracked

## About the study

Original title Influence of Menstrual Phase and Symptoms on Sleep Before and After Matches for Professional Footballers Authors Brown GA, Fullagar HHK, Duffield R Journal Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports Year 2025 Study design Survey study What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/sms.70011](https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70011)

## Topics

[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/)

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