In the US SWAN study, more than 3,000 women aged 42 to 52 were followed for up to seven years. As they moved through the stages of menopause, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increased. Women who had hot flushes or night sweats more often also complained of poor sleep more often.
Not the same for everyone
In a later SWAN analysis, 1,285 women were followed for many years before and after their final period. Several groups emerged: for some, night-time awakenings stayed rare; for others they became more frequent; and some women slept poorly throughout. Frequent hot flushes were strongly linked to awakenings that continued after menopause.
What this means for you
- Sleep problems in perimenopause are common and have a biological cause.
- If hot flushes wake you at night, discuss treatment with your doctor.
- A cool bedroom, a regular routine and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia help.
Sources
- Kravitz H. M. et al. (2008). SWAN study of sleep difficulties during the menopause transition, published in Sleep. Study news release
- Kravitz H. M., Janssen I., Bromberger J. T. et al. (2017). Sleep trajectories before and after the final menstrual period in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 3(3), 235–250. PubMed