|
Female Sex Hormones & Sleep
If you've noticed that your sleep problems seem to worsen just before menstruating, or during or after menopause, you may be suffering from imbalances of the female sex hormones.
Progesterone is an important female sex hormone that can raise your body temperature and help induce sleep. When progesterone levels increase just after ovulation, body temperatures often rise in women, and sleep is encouraged. However, researchers have linked low levels of progesterone with a longer time period between Stage One sleep and REM sleep, causing a drop in the time spent in a deep restful sleep.
Many women begin to experience sleep problems during or after menopause. Some scientists believe that this type of insomnia may be caused by shortages of important brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which can be triggered by an estrogen deficiency. To test this assumption, researchers tracked a group of menopausal women with chronic sleep problems after supplemental treatment with estradiol, the body's primary estrogen. They found that over 70% of the women reported sleeping well after treatment. And all the women noticed an improvement in symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, which often disrupt sleep during menopause.
| Recommended BodyBalance Product: |
FemaleCheck
If you are interested in learning more about a BodyBalance product that measures levels of estradiol and progesterone, then please visit the FemaleCheck product page. |
References:
- Lee KA, Shaver JF, Giblin EC, Woods NF. Sleep patterns related to menstrual cycle phase and premenstrual affective symptoms. Sleep 1990;13(5):403-409.
- Giampiero P, Toro G, Carta G, Pathachiola F, Moscarini M. HRT as a first-step treatment of insomnia. Eur Menopause J 1997;4(4):145-148.
|
