Study, 2024
How do finger temperature, heart rate, and sleep change across the menstrual cycle?
Finger temperature and heart rate changed across the menstrual cycle, but sleep measures stayed the same in these healthy women. Heart rate was lowest during menses in both younger and older women.
What they did
116 healthy women (67 aged 18-35, 53 aged 42-55) wore an Oura ring for one menstrual cycle to track finger temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, steps, and sleep. They also used LH test kits and kept daily diaries of sleep, mood, and physical symptoms.
What they found
Finger temperature followed a cyclic pattern in 96 women. Heart rate was lowest during menses in both age groups. In younger women only, heart rate variability was lower in the late-luteal phase than during menses. No changes were found in sleep efficiency, sleep duration, time awake after falling asleep, sleep onset latency, or sleep quality across the cycle. Mood was more positive around ovulation, and physical symptoms appeared during menses.
What it means for you
Changes in finger temperature and heart rate across your cycle are normal. Your sleep should stay stable if you are healthy without menstrual disorders. This study included only healthy women and tracked one cycle per person, so results may differ for women with PMS or PMDD.
116
Total women
96
With cyclic finger temperature
67
Young women aged 18-35
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual Cycle Variations in Wearable-Detected Finger Temperature and Heart Rate, But Not in Sleep Metrics, in Young and Midlife Individuals
- Authors
- Alzueta E, Gombert-Labedens M, Javitz H et al.
- Journal
- Journal of biological rhythms
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 116
- What was tested
- Wearable ring tracking and daily symptom diaries over one menstrual cycle
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/07487304241265018
Topics
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