---
title: Do women with PMS sleep differently than women without PMS? | Niyora
description: Yes. Women with PMS had worse sleep quality, more unrefreshing sleep, more insomnia symptoms, and lower oxygen levels during sleep. The study couldn't explain
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-and-sleep-disturbances-results-from-the-sao-paulo-2018/
---

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- Do women with PMS sleep differently than women without PMS?

Survey study, 2018

# Do women with PMS sleep differently than women without PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS had worse sleep quality, more unrefreshing sleep, more insomnia symptoms, and lower oxygen levels during sleep. The study couldn't explain why.

 Early or limited evidence

230 Brazilian women, 72.6% with PMS

## What they did

Cross-sectional study of 230 Brazilian women from an epidemiologic survey. Researchers asked about sleep quality using questionnaires and measured actual sleep with polysomnography. PMS was identified by one question.

## What they found

72.6% of women reported PMS. The PMS group had poorer sleep quality, higher perception of unrefreshing sleep, and more subthreshold insomnia. They had increased total sleep time on polysomnography but lower oxygen saturation.

## What it means for you

PMS is connected to sleep problems. However, the study used only a single question to identify PMS, which is not a complete assessment. We don't know if PMS causes sleep problems or sleep problems cause PMS.

230

Women studied

72.6%

Reported PMS

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual syndrome and sleep disturbances: Results from the Sao Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study Authors Nicolau ZFM, Bezerra AG, Polesel DN et al. Journal Psychiatry research Year 2018 Study design Survey study Participants 230 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.008](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.008)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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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Do men experience premenstrual syndrome?

Survey study, 2026

Is PMS linked to sleep quality in young women?

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