--- title: How are sleep problems, mood disorders and the menstrual cycle connected? description: About one third of women have disrupted sleep before their period, especially those with premenstrual mood disorders. Hormonal changes and circadian rhythm di url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sleep-premenstrual-mood-disorder-and-women-s-health-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How are sleep problems, mood disorders and the menstrual cycle connected? Survey study, 2020 # How are sleep problems, mood disorders and the menstrual cycle connected? About one third of women have disrupted sleep before their period, especially those with premenstrual mood disorders. Hormonal changes and circadian rhythm disruption likely explain this. Moderate study design Literature review; reproductive-age women ## What they did Literature review examining recent studies on female reproduction, sleep and mood across the menstrual cycle. ## What they found About one third of women experience premenstrual sleep disruption. Sleep disturbances are particularly prevalent in those with premenstrual mood disorders. Hormonal fluctuations during the premenstrual phase alter circadian rhythm and decrease melatonin secretion, linked to sleep complaints and menstrual irregularity. Menstrual irregularity is independently associated with increased mood complaints and poor sleep. ## What it means for you Sleep, mood and menstrual regularity appear connected through hormonal and circadian changes. Exact mechanisms need further research. This is a review of existing studies, not new original research. 1 in 3 Women with premenstrual sleep disruption ## About the study Original title Sleep, premenstrual mood disorder, and women's health Authors Meers JM, Nowakowski S Journal Current opinion in psychology Year 2020 Study design Survey study What was tested None; literature review Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.09.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.09.003) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/) 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. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2026 Does sleeping longer improve mood and fitness in elite athletes? Review, 2024 What do brain wave patterns show about PMS and PMDD? Systematic review, 2022 Do athletes' feelings and performance change across the menstrual cycle? Study, 2021 How much does the menstrual cycle affect mood and body signs compared to daily, weekly, and seasonal changes? Survey study, 2026 How does sleep change across the menstrual cycle in women with psychiatric conditions and suicidal thinking? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗