---
title: Does sleep change during the menstrual cycle, and is this linked to mood?
description: Yes. The timing of deep sleep changes during the menstrual cycle, and women with premenstrual mood symptoms sleep less of a restorative type of sleep.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sleep-patterns-related-to-menstrual-cycle-phase-and-premenstrual-affective-1990/
---

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- Does sleep change during the menstrual cycle, and is this linked to mood?

Lab study, 1990

# Does sleep change during the menstrual cycle, and is this linked to mood?

Yes. The timing of deep sleep changes during the menstrual cycle, and women with premenstrual mood symptoms sleep less of a restorative type of sleep.

 Early or limited evidence

Healthy women (sample size not stated).

## What they did

They monitored sleep in healthy women during two different phases of their menstrual cycle (before and after ovulation).

## What they found

The time from falling asleep to the first period of vivid dreaming (REM sleep) was significantly shorter during the premenstrual phase compared to before ovulation. There was no difference in time taken to fall asleep or the percentage of night spent in vivid dreaming. However, women with negative mood symptoms during their premenstruum had significantly less deep sleep (delta sleep) compared to women without mood symptoms, and this was true in both phases of their cycle.

## What it means for you

Sleep organisation changes during the menstrual cycle, particularly the timing of vivid dreaming. Women with premenstrual mood symptoms may have less of a restorative sleep stage. The study describes what happens to sleep but does not test any treatments. The number of women studied is not stated in the abstract.

## About the study

Original title Sleep patterns related to menstrual cycle phase and premenstrual affective symptoms Authors Lee KA, Shaver JF, Giblin EC et al. Journal Sleep Year 1990 Study design Lab study What was tested None; observation and sleep monitoring. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1093/sleep/13.5.403](https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/13.5.403)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)

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