Case-control study, 2007
Do women with severe PMS have measurable sleep problems?
Women with severe PMS feel they sleep much worse before their period, but sleep measurements show similar patterns to healthy women. Some brain wave differences suggest PMS may affect sleep in subtle ways.
What they did
Compared 9 women with severe PMS or PMDD to 12 healthy controls aged 18-40. Both groups had their sleep measured in a lab during two phases of their cycle: early in the cycle and pre-menstrually. Measurements included what women reported about sleep quality and recordings of brain wave activity during sleep.
What they found
Women with severe PMS reported feeling they slept much worse pre-menstrually. Sleep recordings showed both groups had increased wakefulness and brain activity during the pre-menstrual phase. However, these patterns were similar between women with PMS and healthy women. Women with PMS did show some different brain wave patterns compared to controls at all times of their cycle: less deep sleep activity and more of certain types of brain waves.
What it means for you
Women with PMS often feel they sleep worse before their period, but standard sleep measurements may not pick up the problem. Some brain wave patterns in women with PMS may indicate subtle changes to sleep related to the condition. The main limit is this is a very small study with only 9 women, so more research is needed to understand sleep changes in PMS.
9
women with severe PMS or PMDD
12
healthy controls
About the study
- Original title
- Sleep quality and the sleep electroencephalogram in women with severe premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Baker FC, Kahan TL, Trinder J et al.
- Journal
- Sleep
- Year
- 2007
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 12
- What was tested
- No intervention; observational comparison across two cycle phases
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1093/sleep/30.10.1283
Topics
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