Menopause and Insomnia

By Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs

Many women report that their insomnia began around the time of menopause and feel that hormonal changes underlie their sleep problems. Although some studies have linked hot flashes to disturbed sleep, a recent study by Dr. J.L. Lukacs and colleagues found that menopause may not cause poor sleep.

The study, published in the April issue of the Journal of Women's Health, examined the connection between estrogen and sleep quality. The study involved an in-hospital one night sleep study. It included a group of women aged 20 to 52, and compared them to age-matched women who had gone through menopause, some of who were using estrogen therapy.

The study found that there was little difference in sleep between post-menopausal women who were and were not taking estrogen supplements. However, the results did show that total sleep time, time spent awake during the night and sleep efficiency were worse for older women than younger women, regardless of whether the older women were still having menstrual cycles and regardless of whether they used estrogen therapy.

While young women around age 24 slept about seven hours, all women in their 40s, regardless of their estrogen levels or menopause status, got only about six to six-and-a-half hours of sleep. This finding is consistent with prior studies that have demonstrated that sleep problems increase in women in mid-life.

The researchers noted that because this study involved an in-hospital, one-night sleep observation, further research examining women's natural sleep patterns in their own homes over multiple nights could give more insight into why women sleep poorly at midlife.