Sleep and the reproductive cycle: A review

Abstract

Women of all ages have been found to have a higher rate of sleep disturbances than men. Attempts to determine whether hormonal changes marking their reproductive lives render women more vulnerable to emotional stress and to concomitant sleep disturbances are the focus of this article. Investigations of sleep patterns and sleep‐related experiences that occur in connection with the menstrual cycle (normal menstrual cycle and premenstrual syndrome) and are associated with hormonal abnormalities (amenorrhea) and changes in hormonal status (pregnancy and menopause) are reviewed. Methodological problems are discussed and areas of future research are proposed. It is suggested that the triad of sleep, endocrine changes, and mood should be more systematically investigated.